Rebuilding a Sky
by Dareagon
Summary: What if Irie Shoichi had been Byakuran's man all along? What if Mukuro's reincarnation story held much more truth to it than the Mist had ever told them? A freshly traumatised Sasuke remembers more than he should. And he is not the only one. Will they find each other again and how will they fare as shinobi in training?
1. Awakening

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn! I just wish I did.

Beta: the lovely Midnight-Kitsune11.

AN: New story time! Thanks to AryaZEvans for the help!

**Awakening**

Someone is screaming.

No, not someone.

He is.

And he's loud. Very loud.

Loud, without words, and with a hysterical edge to it.

Hands are touching him, holding him down.

And he can feel the desperation clawing at him as he struggles to break free.

He's not sure what is happening anymore.

He remembers being restrained, other people restraining him, remembers watching his friends fighting to get out of the glass prison they are being kept in to get to him and him being unable to do anything.

He lashes out, tries to break free.

He remembers freezing as he spots his parents, unable to move. Dead and covered in blood.

And then he's choking on his own blood, clawing at his throat, trying to close the deep cut that the man with the glasses gave him with a smirk.

Blood red eyes with black markings are all he can see and then pain, pain, pain, pain, pain!

He remembers his Rain dying. He was the first, already gravely hurt from a previous battle. He screams even louder than before as he feels the bright blue flames being ripped from him as their bond is destroyed.

His parents keep on dying. He keeps reliving it. Over and over again. As if someone pushed the repeat button. Only now, he can hear his nii-san talking to him, taunting him. That makes it so much worse.

He used to worship his older brother.

One by one he feels them dying, each leaving an almost unbearable ache behind. With each element that leaves him, he feels his heartbreaking further apart until only a broken mess remains.

His nii-san confesses almost proudly what he has done and clearly doesn't regret it.

He shatters.

He's not sure he'll ever be able to mend the broken pieces of his heart together again.

Pain.

The memories threaten to overwhelm him.

They DO overwhelm him.

The pain continues and still keeps on growing worse until it's all he's aware of.

He can't bare it anymore and his mind shuts down. An icy feeling washes over him and numbs him as he surrenders to the darkness.

Anything to stop feeling.

He's not sure how long he drifts in that darkness. He's lost all awareness of time.

So when he finally becomes aware of something new in the darkness he can't help but turn towards it. A small but bright speck of light appears and he's entranced by it. It's not a conscious thought, and the speck of light is small and delicate. It feels hurt and lonely, but it's still reaching out, even if it is hesitant.

It is also blue and seemed to slowly drift towards him.

He can't help reaching as well and clinging to it, because despite all that, it's warm and it chases the ice away.

It even manages to dull the pain.

Just a little bit.

He basks in the gentle blue light.

He becomes aware again of his body. Slowly but surely.

He's sitting up in a bed, his body is completely cramped up. His muscles still tense and high on the pain he can still feel coursing through him. It's a mental pain, but one that had seized his whole body and left him sore and aching.

However, the blue light distracts him, and he can shove the pain away from himself. Just enough to become aware again of what's happening around him.

He blinks his uncomfortably dry eyes a few times and become aware of a hand that gently covers his own.

It's warm and just like the light he can still feel.

…

In fact, the hand gives off the exact same feeling as the blue light. It never left.

He drags his gaze up and tries to focus on the body attached to the hand. Because yes, it's not just a lone hand, it's actually a whole boy. A small boy. A boy in… orange? Why is he orange? Shouldn't he be blue?

He squints and realises he should know who this is. He knows this person.

No?

Or maybe he just recognizes him? Do they know each other?

His thoughts feel slower than they should, as if they are still trapped in the icy feeling, but the boy is warm and he cares for nothing except that the other is warm and he wishes to bask in that feeling.

He turns his hand and desperately grabs the other's hand in his.

The person next to him is startled, but he doesn't try to make him let go and he has never been more thankful for something in his life.

In his lives?

He shakes the thought away.

"Sasuke?" The boy next to him tries hesitantly.

He blinks again, trying to chase away the haze that still persistently hangs over him.

He knows this boy, they've met before… He's sure of it now…

Sasuke? Was that his name?

…

Yes…

But … At the same time, not?

He had been called something else too… Right?

"Don't leave."

He's surprised to hear his own voice, barely recognizes it.

It doesn't sound like him, not like either of him…

He does vaguely remember screaming as those memories crashed into his mind like a tsunami. Had that been him? The screaming had been so loud that, if it had indeed been him screaming, he'd probably damaged his vocal cords.

The blond next to him watches him with wide eyes but nods with determination.

Basking in the warm feeling and the warm blue light he can still feel but not see, he finally allows himself to relax a bit and he feels his cramped muscles finally loosen up. He's asleep before he realises what happened.

-o-

He wakes back up to shouting and immediately tenses and instinctively reaches for the little blue light. The boy is still next to him, but he's clinging to him and the hospital bed like a monkey as someone in white is trying to drag him away.

His mind blanches and the icy feeling rushes back and briefly paralyses him as he realises what is going on.

They are trying to take his the warm blue light away…

His eyes narrow.

He'll never allow that.

He'll never go back to that darkness again. Twice was enough. Heck, one time had been more than enough!

Power bursts free, fuelled by the immense rage he feels.

And with barely a conscious thought he's up and has kicked the person away.

He's struggling to breathe.

It was clearly too soon since dying to move like that yet. His hands are covered in bright orange flames.

He can clearly see that.

He is so transfixed and horrified to see the flames that he doesn't realise that blue light boy is hovering behind him, or that new people rush in the room.

This couldn't be happening…

Why do these flames feel familiar?

And why is seeing them causing this much fear?

What had happened?

People are yelling at him, but he can't understand what they are saying, because his brain is still messed up and he can't make out their words.

He slowly backs up and unconsciously takes the boy with him. He herds him back towards the wall and away from the people approaching them.

His flames flare brightly, he's determined to keep the strangers at a distance. The boy grabs his hand, seemingly unafraid of the orange flames. Tsuna feels shock course through him at that.

His brain still feels fuzzy, and it's only getting worse.

The darkness is back and this time even the blue light coming from the boy isn't strong enough to keep it at bay.

The last thing he sees is glowing, wide eyes, as blue as the light their owner possess.

…

When he becomes aware again, he feels more lucid. The pain has dulled while he was out, but the icy feeling surrounding him hasn't left. If anything it's back with a vengeance.

The room is darker. It must either be early morning or late in the afternoon..

The blue warmth is gone, and so is the boy…

Why?

He had asked him not to leave.

He stares at the dark ceiling, not caring to move or to sit up. His mind is blank and he honestly can't care less.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun."

But apparently, he is not alone. He feels like scowling in irritation, but can't bring up the energy to act on the feeling.

He doesn't bother turning his head, but he does look at the man sitting next to his bed from the corner of his eyes.

His breath hitches.

Nono?

He turns his head and narrows his eyes as he studied the man.

No, this is not the Kyuudaime.

They had never gotten to nine… Konoha had had a Yondaime at most, not a Kyuudaime.

Still, he has trouble distinguishing the two. This man reminded him way too much of the man that had been so irresponsible with the lives of his own three sons that he had forced a civilian into the mafia world. Who had sealed him away years before, to condemn him to half a life. Who had ultimately forced him to fight and clean up his messes. Which had led to his death.

He struggles to keep his breathing even.

"Do you know who I am, Sasuke-kun?" The man asks calmly as if he doesn't see the boy is on the verge of a panic attack.

He shakes his head.

He doesn't want to know, even if he has his suspicions. He just wants the non-Kyuudaime to leave him alone.

"My name is Sarutobi Hiruzen. I am the Sandaime Hokage." The man introduces himself.

He doesn't react as the man smiles at him. He has seen those grandfatherly smiles before.

He is done thrusting them.

"How are you feeling?" The non-Kyuudaime keeps insisting.

He reacts this time, simply by turning away from the man, staring at the wall on the other side of his hospital bed.

He doesn't want to know how he feels right now. He doesn't want to analyse the non-feeling that envelops him, the numbness that the ice brings. It will only bring back the memories and the pain.

And he doesn't want to deal with either of those.

"Sasuke-kun, can you hear me?"

The non-Kyuudaime sure is persistent, he has to give him that much.

"Can you remember what happened?" Non-Kyuudaime keeps insisting.

He can hear the man move and suddenly he is kneeling at the other side of his bed to look him right in the eyes.

He has to close his eyes as the memories assault him again.

Blood, blood everywhere.

His brother standing over their parents' corpses.

His friends lying dead before him as he's choking on his own blood.

He's never seen so much blood.

He places his hand on his throat to remind himself that he isn't dying anymore.

"Where is he?" He croaked with a hoarse voice, still not healed from screaming earlier. He has no idea how long he's been here. Doesn't want to know.

The Non-Kyu-, no! Sarutobi seems relieved to finally get any sort of response.

"I'm afraid Itachi has become a missing nin and has left the village before we could-"

"No!" he interrupts with a visible flinch. "Not him. The boy. There was a boy here earlier."

"A boy." The man blinks in confusion.

"Yes. A boy." He reminisces. "Blond hair. In orange. Warm. Promised he wouldn't leave. Where is he?"

Sarutobi gives him a smile.

He flinches again.

"Do you mean Naruto-kun? He was here earlier." The Hokage confirms what he had already known. "But I am afraid the nurses threw him out because he was creating too much of a ruckus."

He closes his eyes again. If possible the icy feeling that still surrounds him is growing colder, but he finally has a name for the boy. Naruto…

"He might still be around." The man admits after a few moments of silence. "I can ask someone to go get him if that is what you want."

He can't bring himself to react, he's too far gone into the ice again. The man is still talking, but he can't hear him anymore.

All he feels is himself sinking further and further into the ice, into the darkness that accompanies it.

Times passes, but he didn't register how much.

Until the speck of warm blue light and the warmth are back and slowly but surely start to melt the ice.

"… are real jerks! I didn't do anything and they threw me out anyway! Honestly, I never pranked anyone from the hospital! Except maybe that one guy, but he deserved it and…"

He blinks awake.

The blond boy is back. And he is ranting about something? About the staff?

"Hey, you're finally awake again! You sure sleep a lot." The blond notices with a grin.

"Calm down, Naruto-kun." Sarutobi has moved back into his chair. "Sasuke-kun is still hurt. He needs a lot of rest."

He eyes not-Kyuudaime from the corner of his eyes, but he doesn't want to keep his attention away from the blond for too long. He grabs the blond's hand and squeezes weakly.

"You came back."

The blond grins sheepishly. "I didn't want to leave but those jerks threw me out."

He relaxes at the boy's confession. He hadn't noticed how tense his body had been until now.

He grunts as he tries to sit up without letting go of the other boy's hand. The grin stays firmly on the boy's face as he readjusts the pillow behind him for him to lean on.

He grimaces as his body protests the movement, but he continues to listen as the boy continues talking. Ranting seems to be a thing he does a lot, because he's started again. Talking about anything and everything.

He mentions he'd been sneaking around the village when he'd come across a frenzied shinobi, one of them carrying Sasuke. He had recognized the raven and, curious, he had followed them to the hospital. He'd even managed to sneak into his room once the medics had left.

He wants to snort at the blond's proud face, but he can't find the energy for it.

Right now, the blond seems to be talking about school, how it's being closed the last few days and how he hasn't been able to see their sensei, who he is apparently close to.

Listening to the boy is strangely peaceful. Gripping the blond's warm hand, he can't help falling asleep again.

Hiruzen's POV:

He watches the boy with pain in his heart.

Poor child…

Hiruzen had prayed the last few weeks, that a peaceful solution could be found to deal with the Uchiha matter. He had hoped and prayed to every deity out there and still…

The situation had quickly escalated after Uchiha Shisui had died. Had been murdered? Because Hiruzen found it difficult to believe a child that cheerful and determined to solve the situation had simply taken his own life not an hour after his last talk with the Hokage.

If Shisui had really done that, then something serious had happened shortly after leaving Hiruzen's office. Something so devastating it had made the teen _that_ desperate.

Steel enters Hiruzen's eyes as he lets his thoughts flow.

Had something equally desperate happened to Itachi? Had the young prodigy truly snapped or…?

Was his old friend somehow involved in this mess? Because if he was, that would have crossed a serious line in Hiruzen's mind. A line he had defined carefully to the man, that he had deliberately stepped over then.

Itachi had always adored his younger brother. If he had truly snapped, why had he spared the boy?

Though spared might not be the right word for what he _had_ done to Sasuke-kun, but... Hiruzen shivers even now as he remembers the young boy's screams. He had seen, afterwards, the way young Sasuke-kun had been all but dead to the world. The body was still alive, it was as good as unharmed really, but he had not reacted to any outside stimuli. But he wasn't talking, wasn't eating and he didn't even seem to need to go to the bathroom.

It was like the child's spirit had died.

The only moment Sasuke-kun seems to 'wake up', is when Naruto is in the room.

And hadn't that been strange. Hiruzen had never seen an Uchiha (even a child) react like that and cling to another person like that. He clings to Naruto as if he's the only thing keeping him alive.

And Hiruzen is starting to believe Naruto might just very well be.

Poor child…

Something like this can never happen again. It is high time he pays his old friend a little visit. Hiruzen needs to know if the old War Hawk has finally gone too far, if he has finally stepped over the lines Hiruzen had drawn.

It's not like anyone else could have been responsible after all. The other two people who make up his council would never try anything like what he feared happened without Danzo being behind it, or at least approving it, and no one else knew about the Uchiha matter.

If they had done what he thought they did, if they really had gone behind his back on such a level (and really; how much more likely is it that Itachi had simply snapped without any signs of it?), then it was high time that Hiruzen did some thorough spring cleaning.

High time.

Poor child…

**TBC.**

Happy Easter everyone!  
Let me know what you think, please!


	2. Remembering

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn! I just wish I did.

Beta: the lovely Midnight-Kitsune11.

AN: Thanks to Mumia0813, Phidias Bagel and Mukuro234 for their reviews! It means a lot!

**Remembering**

It takes a few more days to find himself again in all those traumatic emotions. The blond boy, Naruto, has been a constant presence by his side during the days, always talking enthusiastically about one thing or another.

It is soothing, and it gives him the opportunity to think while basking in the warmth the boy radiated. He can finally think without drowning in the feelings. The warmth keeps him centered.

He can finally make some sense of his scattered memories. It's a relief, because he is sure they were slowly driving him insane.

He wants to curse Mukuro. It's only because of the Mist that he even considered reincarnation, but strange as it might be, it was the only thing he could think of that makes sense.

He remembers things he shouldn't. The first memory might have been a fluke, a strange nightmare after a traumatic experience. He could have convinced himself of that, but now that he is calming down, more memories surface.

The last memories of his previous life are clearest to him, even now. Then again, he supposes it would be difficult to forget how one died. Irie had made sure he knew what was going on and that he wouldn't die quickly.

His throat had been slit. A messy death in any way one could look at it, but the Millefiore Sun had made the cut with surgical precision. Deep enough to kill, but shallow enough to draw it out. He had spent what felt like hours choking, drowning on his own blood while watching his friends die by Irie's hand. One by one, the man had killed them and they had been too weak from the poison to retaliate. He wasn't even sure if Takeshi had woken up at all after his battle. Irie had even killed little Lambo and I-Pin.

He couldn't help the tears every time he thought about it.

He had been Tsunayoshi, at that point. And now he is Sasuke.

Tsuna is a part of him, but he is also Sasuke now. He's both? Does that make sense?

He knows he is changing, even if a little.

Maybe more than a little?

Probably a lot.

He's never felt this anxious as Sasuke, but for Tsuna this feeling is very familiar.

He knows what flames are now, having remembered. He knows what the blue light is now.

He can feel his own flames, even now, weak as he is. Even in this life, he is a Sky.

Bright orange flames.

A Sky without any elements at this point. Though it feels like he is very close to bonding with the blond he is clinging to. The warm Rain that saves him from the darkness. The Tsuna-part of him feels guilty about this, because… Takeshi, and the Sasuke-part wants to claim the blond as his own. Anything to not be alone and cold again.

The memories changed him.

He remembers before … How he had treated Naruto. It feels like a miracle the blond even wants anything to do with him now yet, right now, Naruto sits next to him, munching on some cookies he had brought full of chocolate.

Tsuna had been crazy about chocolate, but Sasuke has never understood what made other people so fond of it. He doesn't mind it, but he only likes the dark, bitter kind.

He feels bad. Naruto had gone through the trouble of bringing it after all but the blond had laughed cheerfully at him and said they could share.

As it turned out, if Sasuke doesn't speak up too much while he nibbles on a cookie, Naruto would happily eat most of the remaining ones.

It seems like nothing could get the blond down for long.

Even though nurses find an excuse to enter or look into his room every few minutes to glare at the blond, Naruto stays cheerful. He acts as if nothing is going on now, but the first time it happened the blond had been sitting on the corner of his bed, showing something to Sasuke. Sasuke had felt the boy flinch, and he had taken to glaring back at the nurses with everything he was worth ever since.

Which is apparently a lot, because they immediately leave in a hurry.

Some part of him is glad for this. Try as he might, when he was only Tsuna he had only been vaguely intimidating while in Hyper Dying Will Mode. When he tried being angry about it, Reborn had often compared him to a pouting puppy.

Which wasn't helpful for his already damaged ego.

At all…

When Naruto isn't there, he sleeps. It's difficult to remain focused when the blond isn't there.

When he manages to stay awake he's lost in the memories, but he's not completely drowning in them.

He's starting to wonder, starting to ask himself questions.

Mostly wondering what he could have done differently to prevent this. Any of this.

Both the deaths of his friends and now the loss of his family. What had he been thinking? Sending for his younger self because older Tsuna couldn't handle the job. What could fourteen-year-olds accomplish that twenty-four-year-olds couldn't? This was like with the Kyuudaime all over again. Leaving your mess to be cleaned up by the younger generation…

And now… Had Itachi really gone mad? Had he really killed their entire clan as a measure of his strength? It seemed so illogical. Strength could be measured in battle, against an opponent. Not slaughtering children and people who had let their guard down because they were in a place they were supposed to be safe.

Questions like that always shook him up, and make him zone out in a combination of the icy feeling and panic.

It's much easier to feel panic now that he remembers being Tsuna.

Or is that because of what his bro- Itachi did to him?

Either way, whoever he is: Tsuna, Sasuke or even both, having Naruto around is better for all of him.

He knows, realises deep down, that he can't keep ignoring this but he can't bring himself to think too closely or too long on this.

Not right now.

-o-

As the days go by, he begins to feel more and more like Tsuna, instead of Sasuke.

The flames probably help with that, as does the tentative flame bond with Naruto.

The blond feels familiar. There is something about him that is drawing Tsuna in like a moth is drawn to the light, and it's more than just a fledgling bond.

It irritates him at times, because it's like an itch that he should be able to scratch, but somehow can't reach.

How he perceives feeling has changed as well. Sure, as Tsuna he'd gotten annoyed a lot, but it seems like, strange as it is to say, Sasuke feels everything more strongly. Tsuna is used to dealing with panic and fear, but even he is taken aback the first time since he wakes up, he has a full-blown panic attack in the hospital. Naruto hadn't been there, and he had gone from zero to full-on panic attack in less than three seconds.

They are feelings Tsuna is very familiar with.

All the anger and irritation scare him at times.

Another reason not to immediately delve into those memories, of either life.

So Sasuke isn't gone, they merged. He is both now. Somehow. He isn't sure? But what he does know is that he is done with dying.

No more.

A medic comes into the room, together with the not-Kyuudaime and Naruto promptly shuts up. For some strange reason, the blond is very respectful towards the old man.

He really needs to stop calling the man that, but the resemblance is too canny…

"Good news, Sasuke-kun. You are being released from the hospital." The Hokage says with that stupid smile once again on his face. "You are ready to go home now."

Sasuke freezes. Home? Where is home? He doesn't … mean the Uchiha complex, does he? Does he have to go back there? To all the blood and dead bodies and memories?

Panic and a need to laugh hysterically claw at his very being. He can't bring himself to talk, but he looks at the man with wide disbelieving eyes.

As none of the adults react, a strange sound escapes his throat before he can help it.

"Have you gone mad?" He almost snarls at the man.

The Sandaime looks honestly confused, but Tsuna can't believe that the man would have overlooked something like this.

"You want to send me back, to live alone in the house where my parents were murdered?" he asks incredibly.

Both adults look uncomfortable.

"You have to understand, young Sasuke, that you are the last of the Uchiha clan. You are part of one of the founding clans of the village. Many people asked to be able to take you in, but letting them do so would only further their own political agenda. And…"

"I can take care of myself. I don't need someone to look after me." He glares at the man, feeling very vulnerable.

"Now, Sasuke-kun, -"

"You can stay with me if you like." Naruto interrupts the Hokage in whatever he was going to say.

"Deal. I'll do that." Tsuna jumped at the offer before any of the adults can say anything.

No one manages to change either boy's mind after that. After all, no adult can explain to them why one orphan can live alone, without supervision, and the other cannot.

They can't even claim trauma, and boy did they try. All Tsuna had to do was let his Sasuke side loose to snarl at them. They were planning on sending him back to the place where the trauma had happened after all. He can't see how anyone thought that argument might work.

Walking with Naruto through the village is, strangely enough, not relaxing at all. Even though it is already quite late, people stare at them. They stare at him as if he is some long lost messiah, while they glare at Naruto. They are clearly trying to kill the blond with their eyes.

Tsuna, feeling equally Sasuke and Tsuna at the moment, glares back. Grown adults are backing away fearfully from him now, and he feels very vindicated about that. They shouldn't be glaring at Naruto like that!

Naruto leads him into a small apartment on the top floor of a building and opened the door.

"Turns out, I don't really know how to cook," Naruto says as he closes the door behind them again, "so unless you want to go out again, I have some instant ramen we could eat tonight? What do you think, Tsuna?"

"That's fine, I'm not really... hungry..." He trails off as he realises what Naruto just called him. Did he just…? Did he call him Tsuna?

"Haha!" The blond laughs in delight at him.

The scene is so familiar that his heart aches. There is that nagging feeling again, like he's still missing something. Could it be? The Rain flames are very familiar, but…? Would he really be that lucky?

This can't be happening. Was this happening? He doesn't dare hope.

"I didn't think I'd get to surprise you like that." Blue eyes sparkle with mischief.

Tsuna doesn't dare breath. "Yamamoto?"

If anything Naruto's smile gets even wider and he winks at him. "I think we're close enough to call each other by our first names, ne Tsuna?"

"T-take-shi?" He barely manages to breath out as a very uncomfortable feeling crawls up his throat.

He knows what this is. He's had enough panic attacks the last few days to recognize one now.

"Yes, yes, though it is really strange that Sasuke and Tsuna are the same person now." The smile on the blond's face is pure Takeshi. It can't be anyone else.

How had he not noticed this before now?

"Y-you remember?" Tsuna pushes the overwhelming and panicky feelings back as much as he can. Now is not the time.

"Yeah." Takeshi scratches at the bridge of his nose. "Ever since I touched your flames at the hospital. It was a few strange hours after that before it started making sense. Before I remembered the end…"

"I remembered dying first." Tsuna smiles bitterly.

Takeshi put his hands on Tsuna's shoulders and smiled brightly. "Never mind, never mind! We're here now, and together again! Just so you're warned, I'm not ever letting you go again."

Tsuna looks his friend in the eyes, only to be surprised by the very intense look in them. Tsuna nodded in agreement and Takeshi relaxed instantly. The blond really shouldn't be that surprised. There is no way he's letting Takeshi out of his sight again.

"Of course." Tsuna confirms again verbally. "You're mine, even now. My Rain."

Takeshi nods with a large smile. "I'd like that."

Tsuna smiles shyly. "You're not getting rid of me this time so you better get used to it as well."

Takeshi laughed in delight.

"I'll get us some food."

The blond rummages through his cupboards while the tea kettle is warming water on the stove. Feeling uncomfortable standing around, Tsuna sits down at the table.

He's still having trouble believing this is real. That Takeshi is really here. That he isn't alone again.

He can't take his eyes off his friend. The blond hums a song.

"So, you like ramen now?" Tsuna couldn't help but ask as Takeshi dumps five instant ramen containers on the table.

Takeshi grins as he sets the last cup down. "Un! It's my favorite now! I really love it! And there is the best ramen stand with the nicest people just a few streets away! I eat there all the time!"

"That can't be very healthy." Tsuna snarks which shocks them both.

They blink at each other before Takeshi snorts. "True, but I didn't realise that until a few days ago. I didn't know any better? It doesn't seem to have done much damage."

"I don't know about that." Tsuna sends him a frown. "You're tiny. I think I'm actually taller than you now."

Takeshi blinks in astonishment. Tsuna had always been the small one in their age group. He holds out a hand to the top of his head to measure himself and then compares it to Tsuna at the other side of the table.

"No way! I'm still bigger!"

Tsuna facepalms. He is still sitting in a chair after all, while the blond is standing up.

"Just joking." Takeshi laughs again at the look on Tsuna's face.

Tsuna raises an unimpressed eyebrow.

Takeshi pours the boiling water into the first two cups and closes the lids again. "Three more minutes." He says with a grimace.

"Takeshi, I…" Tsuna trails off, unsure of what to say. A stray thought enters his mind. "Do I call you Takeshi or Naruto?"

"Hmmm… I'm a bit of both, so either is fine." The blond looks thoughtful.

"Right."

That isn't helpful.

At all…

But he honestly doesn't know what he'd answer if someone asked him the same question, so he really can't blame his Rain.

"Say, Tsuna?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we just got lucky to find each other? Or do you think that maybe… the others are here somewhere as well?"

"God, I hope so." Tsuna whispers in a broken voice. "Having you here is probably the only reason I'm still alive right now, but … I want to see them. It hurts to not have the others here." He grips his shirt harshly where his heart is, not sure how to explain it.

It is a physical pain that just won't disappear.

They look at each other, and it is almost a relief to see the pain, despair, and hope he feels mirrored in those bright blue eyes.

Tsuna averts his gaze and starts eating.

Takeshi joins him a few seconds later. The blond finishes his portion in record time and grabs another cup. He shrugs as he sees Tsuna's look. "I eat a lot nowadays."

Tsuna smiles slightly. He feels exhausted. It has been a long day.

Takeshi yawns as he finishes his fourth bowl. "Haha, guess it's been a long day for me as well. I don't have a futon for you, so I hope you don't mind sharing? We're still pretty small, so space shouldn't be an issue."

Tsuna shrugs nonchalantly. "That's fine."

He is actually very relieved. While he doesn't want to wake Takeshi up during the night with his nightmares, the idea of sleeping next to the other boy does make him feel more relaxed.

"Good? You can use the bathroom first if you want. I have a spare pyjama that's still a bit big for me, so it might just fit you."

"Thanks, 'Keshi."

The other smiles brightly at him.

The bathroom is small and old but it is clean.

He feels his anxiety rise again, so he hurries to get changed. There isn't a spare toothbrush, but skipping just once won't be a problem. He quickly leaves the little room and waits until Takeshi is done.

Getting into bed with his Rain feels less awkward than it probably should. He had feared it might be, but it seems he had worried for nothing.

They just lay next to each other in silence, waiting to fall asleep.

"Ne, Tsuna?" Takeshi whispers suddenly in a small voice.

"Hm?"

"It was never game… was it?"

Takeshi's voice breaks as he speaks and Tsuna can feel his heartbreak for his friend.

"Take-"

"I was just a stupid boy, playing pretend while…"

Tsuna can hear him crying as he tries to speak and he feels his own eyes water as well.

"Maybe if I had-"

"No!" Tsuna interrupts loudly. "You can't… We can't think like that." He takes a deep breath to try and not start sobbing. "It's done now. We can only do better this time."

"Never again." Takeshi swears.

"Never again."

It's a promise.

They cry together and cling to each other for most of the night. Neither is sure who made the first move or when, but both feel their bond flaring back to life. Sky and Rain flames mix and dance together and it's the best night's sleep that Tsuna can remember having in a long time.

The morning after, or however you might want to call their two breakdowns in one night, is also surprisingly un-awkward.

They untangle themselves, prepare for the new day and (very reluctantly on both their parts) leave the apartment to do some shopping.

Tsuna refuses to go back to his house to even go get his toothbrush so they have to go out to buy some, together with some clothes and food.

He will not live off of instant Ramen, no matter what Takeshi wants.

Tsuna keeps glaring at people, it feels like he's doing nothing else the whole day. He has never had to fight to keep his temper in check like this. It doesn't help that his temper in this life seems to be much more spectacular than in his last life.

What the hell was their problem? He can't understand why anyone would treat Takeshi like this? Sure, he had been more annoying as Naruto, but now Tsuna could recognize the defensive mask the blond had worn. Takeshi had worn a mask much like this one in his last life so it wasn't hard to spot the fake smiles.

Even if they made him want to hurt someone.

They are rude to him, overcharge him in shops (if they let him in at all) and even go as far as calling him names like monster and demon.

Tsuna feels ready to explode.

Especially since they treat _him_ like some long lost prince! And why? Because his brother went mad and didn't kill him while murdering everyone else in their family?!

Should he feel honored?

Thank, but no thanks.

Really.

**Takeshi POV:**

Once everybody had wanted to be his friend, now no one wanted to be around him. He wasn't sure which he liked better, nor which was the loneliest path.

Takeshi still can't believe how lucky he is. Twice now, Sawada Tsunayoshi has stumbled into his life to become his rock, his island in a sea of loneliness - once in each lifetime - and though he died once already, he honestly would do it again. Rather Tsuna in his life and dying early than an empty life without him.

Tsuna had brought other friends with him, true friends, and Takeshi had never had as much fun or been happier than when he was with them and, while he loved the others (he especially loved teasing Gokudera into a temper), he simply adored Tsuna. It had all started with him after all. Tsuna's easy acceptance of who he was still stunned him to this day. He never needed to pretend, Tsuna would always care.

So now, he wasn't lonely anymore. Being Naruto had been hard. Even harder now that he knew exactly what he had been missing out on. You can't really miss what you never had. You can long for it, but missing it? Not quite possible.

So, while he misses all the others, Tsuna is here and they have each other now, so they'll be fine.

He can't help but hope the others will turn up soon though. Tsuna hasn't said it outright, but he sure insinuated the others had died as well. It made him feel queasy thinking about it. He tries not to, because when he does, he can still feel the knife digging, dragging, cutting through the skin of his neck. He hadn't been completely there. Thinking back, he probably had a serious concussion after his collision with that wall.

He feels bad and relieved at the same time that he was the first to have been killed back then. He can remember the others yelling, Lambo and IPin crying loudly, and worst of all he had seen the look on Tsuna's face. The utter desperation on his Sky's face... He never wanted to see anything close to it. Feeling himself die, choking on his own blood... it was horrible but he suspects that what killed him had been their bond snapping.

Never again. He'd kill the entire world if he had to.

After he killed the guy who had traumatised Tsuna and killed his whole family. That he would do either way.

Together they would get better, they would find the others, and they'd all be happy here. They'd be happy and they'd grow older. Maybe some might even want children. They'd get that chance, this time. Everyone who tried to prevent that would be dealt with.

He'd make sure of it.

**TBC.**


	3. Going back to school

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn! I just wish I did.

Beta: the lovely **Midnight-Kitsune11**. Also lovely shout out to **AryaZEvans**. Thank you both for your help on this chapter!

AN: Thanks to Shadewatcher, CAD270895, Mumia0813, Feiden and Mukuro234 for their reviews! It means a lot! I didn't reply because I don't want to spoil anything ^^ I hope you understand

AO3: Thank you to everyone who left a comment! If I didn't reply to you, it's because I didn't want to spoil anything ^^ I hope you understand.

**Chapter 3: Going back to school**

Going back to the Academy is hard. Tsuna honestly doesn't want to face his classmates, especially the fangirls and he had lingered before the building that morning, ready to run the other way until Takeshi had nudged him.

It had been a reminder that his Rain doesn't have a good enough reason to keep missing class, and Tsuna will not stay alone anymore with only his dark thoughts for the day. The cooking classes distract him, and he's really starting to enjoy them, but it's only about an hour every few days. Teuchi doesn't have a lot of free time, what with having his own business to run, so the only solution is to go with his Rain to school.

He gathers his courage and accompanies his friend.

Their sensei, the man Takeshi had told him about but whom Tsuna barely remembers, takes him aside as he walks in for the dreaded talk.

Are you feeling alright? Ready to start school again? If there is anything, he can always leave early without trouble. Are you sure this isn't too soon?

It was embarrassing, and Tsuna felt like sinking through the floor.

By then the other students had arrived (including the fangirls) and everyone's staring at him and whispering about him.

You'd think future ninja would be more subtle…

'Keshi's presence by his side is the only reason he hasn't bolted out of the room yet.

There are some screeches of "Sasuke-kun!" as they take their seats, with Takeshi shielding him from the rest of the room. Tsuna ignores them as best as he can.

Class itself is boring. Going by the reaction from the other students, their sensei is repeating old material. Tsuna can't remember having heard this before (and he is top of his class in this life – how strange is that!), so it's probably from the lessons he's missed while in the hospital.

Part of him is grateful to their sensei, because new materials keep his mind off the other students, but on the other hand, clearly those other students have too much time on their hands right now. He can hear them all talking, especially the girls who keep mentioning his name. It's like they think he can't hear them…

He feels a bit unsure about the girls though. Well, the fangirls really, because only the Hyuuga girl wasn't trying to catch his attention… Before remembering, he hadn't ever paid them much attention. He'd ignored them, mostly, but he had ignored almost everyone in their class, so that wasn't anything special.

Tsuna had never gotten much attention from girls. Even right before he died, he still flushed when Kyoko-chan or Haru overwhelmed him (or just talked to him really, let's be honest).

Now he has to grasp every bit of resolve he has not to flush again when he hears Haruno and Yamanaka discussing him. Something about how shiny his hair is?

He tries to tune them all out, but he's stuck between irritation and mortification.

Their sensei's behaviour is not helping. Iruka-sensei had never seemed to care a whole lot about him, except when he praised him on a job well done, so Tsuna doesn't need the man to hold his hand now. It would have been different if they had a connection beforehand that went further than teacher and student (like Takeshi and Iruka) but they hadn't so this behaviour only seemed very patronizing now. He doesn't need anyone's pity.

It also really doesn't help improve his bad mood…

But, as long as he has Takeshi, he'll be just fine.

He keeps himself distracted from the other students by writing in his newest notebook. It's almost strange how easy it seems now. He isn't used to doing well in school or even finding classes easy, but it seems to come natural now. Takeshi, on the other hand, seems to be struggling more than ever before. He shot the Rain a worried look, but Takeshi laughed it off. Tsuna frowned but let him be, for now. He'd help him out when they got back home.

Iruka-sensei kept shooting him strange looks throughout the class, and even dismisses everyone early for lunch. Seeing the man approach, Tsuna grabs Takeshi by the arm and drags him outside. He really doesn't feel like a repeat conversation from earlier. Lunch consists of evading as many of their classmates as they can, which Takeshi finds hilarious, of course, but Tsuna is less enthusiastic about. He'd once dreamed of being this popular. Now, he wants to curse his own naïve self. He definitely knew better now.

There is only taijutsu practice in the afternoon, and it's a boys-only class - the girls are at kunoichi class, if he recalls correctly - which is a relief. Sensei asks him to sit this one out, just to be sure not to trigger a flashback. Part of him bristles at this, but mostly he just wants to take a nap. Not that he can do that now, with sensei keeping a very close eye on him.

"No need to worry, Sasuke-kun. You'll be able to re-join training soon enough. You'll have plenty of time to grow strong."

Strong?

True, before he'd done everything he could to grow stronger. Strong enough to be noticed by his father, strong enough to earn some of his brother's time…

But he's not the same anymore. Even if he hadn't remembered, what Nii- what Itachi did, it would have changed him either way.

But what is strength? And how does one become strong?

_You are weak. Why are you so weak? Because you lack... hatred. Foolish brother, if you wish to kill me - hate me, detest me, and survive in an unsightly way. Run... run and cling to life._

Before that day, he never would have thought Itachi capable of hatred. Nii-… No, Itachi had always been kind, gentle and patient. Hate would never have been the emotion to motivate him, or at least that was what Sasuke had always thought. Now though…

However, life as Tsuna has proven him otherwise. It can't only be training, otherwise he'd never been able to lay a hand on Xanxus during their battle. Xanxus had had years more experience than him, years filled with a hatred so powerful that it had taken physical form as Wrath flames, but because he hadn't wanted his friends to get hurt, Tsuna's resolve had let him fight somewhat equally against such hate. A teenager who had barely even known what flames were had managed to fight on equal terms with the strongest fighter in the mafia.

Fighting to protect his friends has always made Tsuna stronger.

Hate and training couldn't be the answer. At least not completely, because training was still needed of course.

He still isn't sure if he has a completely satisfying answer. His father (both of them) fought for family, for the clan, even if they couldn't be bothered to show they cared in everyday life.

It's very confusing.

"You alright?" Takeshi asks from next to him.

Tsuna blinks. The blond is clearly just done with his part of the sparring and sat himself next to Tsuna a bit away from the sparring ground. They are alone, no one around them to hear them, so Tsuna explains what is on his mind.

"Huh? I never really thought about it." Takeshi looks thoughtful, which is a rare emotion for the happy go lucky boy. "I guess strength can be something different for different people. Me, I always fight with you guys in mind." He grins again. "It hasn't failed me yet."

They both refuse to mention what happened at the Millefiore base.

"Wait…" The blond looks confused. "What exactly did Itachi tell you?"

Tsuna repeats it. It not like he will ever forget it after all. He can even ignore the pain thinking about that time usually brings him.

"Why on earth would the guy tell you something like that? Is he … giving you instructions about how to get strong enough to kill him? Or is he setting you up for failure? Because I don't think you could ever hate anyone…"

Tsuna gapes at him. "What?" he asks stunned.

He hasn't thought about it like that… After Itachi killed Tsuna's trust in him and completely traumatized him, why would Tsuna follow what could easily be orders from the one who had just killed his entire family? What had Itachi been trying to achieve when he told him that?

Both Sky and Rain are still deep in thought when sensei announces class is over. Tsuna barely hears what Iruka-sensei has to say to them about their field trip next week. It will be their first experience being shinobi outside of spars and lectures. After such a dull and boring day, everyone chatters enthusiastically when they hear the details. Tsuna is apprehensive, even if Takeshi is super excited.

Now, Tsuna feels validated in his apprehension because he has no idea how everything had gone so bad, so quickly.

This is supposed to be a simple camping trip, for them to gain experience in the field. Nothing dangerous, just routine.

The day had started badly when he had been separated from Takeshi. Despite the blonde's loud protest, they had been split up by Iruka-sensei. Apparently, they spent enough time together and needed to learn to work with other people.

Tsuna had scoffed angrily at that sound logic. It made sense, but that did not mean he'd been happy with it.

Instead of Takeshi, Tsuna had been paired with his pink-haired fangirl (who thought a bright red dress was the ideal outfit for their trip in the forest) and the laziest kid in their class.

He had honestly come to suspect that Shikamaru was able to sleep while walking.

Their task should also have been simple enough: cross the forest, spend the night out here and meet again tomorrow at the gathering point. Seemed simple, which was a good idea as they were only in their first year at the Academy, except the Haruno girl hasn't stopped complaining and swooning since they entered the treeline.

Tsuna is grateful to Shikamaru, who mostly kept his mouth shut but the loud and dramatic girl isn't really helping with Tsuna's always present temper these days.

Then, after what felt like hours with those two, an angry giant panda with claws emerges from the bushes roaring in anger.

Ignoring the 'what-the-fuck?' feeling, they turned and ran.

Of course, the creature decided to chase them.

Why is this his life?

Tsuna grit his teeth as he easily outran the other two.

He slows down.

Shikamaru easily catches up again, but Sakura… In her panic, she pays less attention and trips on the roots of one of the trees they're passing.

Tsuna feels himself turn back for her without having consciously made the decision.

He still can't believe they are running from a giant panda.

Grabbing Sakura by her arm, he drags her with him as they take off after Shikamaru again but she's too surprised and can't seem to regain her footing, so she stumbles behind him.

The bear gains on them quickly.

"Faster!" Shikamaru yells at them.

Tsuna makes the mistake of looking back. Fear crawls up his throat. He can almost feel the creature's breath on his neck. It's probably just his imagination, because Sakura is still running behind him, but still…

She screams and Shikamaru is yelling something again.

Pain.

His sides explode with pain as long claws pierce his flesh.

He stumbles and lets go of Sakura's hand.

That was too close.

He clutches his side and he instinctively reaches for his flames.

The animal screeches as bright Sky flames burn it. Tsuna can't even bring himself to feel bad for it and makes his flames as hot as possible.

It runs away screeching in pain.

Tsuna takes a deep breath, lets go of his flames and looks down at the three long claw marks that shredded his clothes and his skin under that. The two exterior scratches look shallow, but the middle one looks pretty deep.

He presses his hand against it again to stop the bleeding, only to freeze in shock as Sakura grabs her head and crumbles to the ground with a pained moan.

"What the-?" Shikamaru grunts in a pained voice as he stumbles and clenches his eyes shut.

Tsuna quickly moves to help keep the boy upright. "What is going on?" he asks in confusion.

"H-headache. Please _shut_ up!" the Nara heir grouches in pain.

Tsuna audibly shuts his mouth and hesitates for a second but he steels himself and gently leads the boy to sit at the base of a nearby tree.

Shikamaru sighs in relief and almost melts into the bark. He rubs tiredly at his eyes while Tsuna goes back for the pink haired girl. He carefully helps her up and has to half carry her because her legs can't seem to carry her weight anymore.

She moans in pain at the change in position. Tsuna briefly bites in indecision, he doesn't want to hurt her after all, but he continues on.

"D-did someone g-get the plate o-of the truck t-that ran m-me over?" She moans when she sits and immediately leans into Shikamaru's side.

What?

Wait…

A truck?

There weren't any cars in Konoha, let alone trucks. His eyes widened. Could this mean…?

"Haruno-san, what are you saying?" He asks her hesitantly.

"Not m-my name." She mutters with a frown as she closes her eyes.

Could it really-?

"If you both don't shut up immediately, I'll bite the both of you to death, headache or not." Shikamaru snaps at them.

Tsuna freezes in reflex. That used to be Hibari-san's catchphrase. His Cloud used it all the time before he beat people up.

Until they all died of course…

Could this really be Hibari-san and another of his friends? Chrome perhaps?

"Juu-juudai… Where are y-…" The girl suddenly mutters with perfect timing.

Gokudera-kun? Tsuna flinches in shock.

He's… A girl now?!

How is that…?

His brain seems to stop.

He feels guilty about it, but all he can think is 'thank god that didn't happen to me', and it makes him feel so, so bad, but he really can't help it.

Shikamaru (and is that really Hibari-san?) sighs a last time before promptly falling asleep.

Tsuna can only watch with wide eyes as Goku-… the girl follows him into sleep. He releases a shaky breath. Alright then. Both are sleeping. He can do this. What should he be doing now? He should be doing something, right?

It's only halfway through the afternoon, but he has no idea how long they'll nap. He had never thought to ask Takeshi how he'd handled remembering. All Tsuna knows is that it had taken him days, but he had not only been recovering from _that_, so… Here's to hoping they won't take as long as he did.

First, he digs into his bag for water and bandages. His wounds are still bleeding, so he takes off his top and cleans the wounds with water before bandaging them.

He's had some more time to think in the meanwhile, so he made up his mind. He digs into their packs and starts setting up their camp, getting their sleeping bags out and spread around. It takes him longer than it should have (mostly because he is tired and in pain), but he manages and once that is done, he starts collecting some firewood. He makes sure not to stray too far from the other two. If one panda can find them, so can another, or any other creature in these woods, so he always keeps an eye on the two leaning against the big tree.

He got their rations out and started nibbling on one of the bars when…

"HIEEE! WHAT THE HELL?!" the girl shot up and flails around.

Tsuna has to slap his hands over his mouth not to scream with her, he's _that_ startled.

The Nara snorts in his sleep as he leans away from her, turns a bit and mutters: "Shut up, omnivore."

Part of Tsuna feels indignant, but most of him is sheepish. "Pretty sure that's not me." He mutters as he gets up and walks towards them.

"THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!? WHAT KIND OF NIGHTMARE IS THIS!?" the girl screeches.

"It's alright…" Tsuna tries to calm her down.

She glares harshly at him. "How is this ALRIGHT?! I'm a GODDAMNED GIRL! I'm NOT! YOU HEAR ME!?"

He raises his hands in surrender but can't help but cringe at her volume.

"Be quiet." Snaps the Nara grumpily next to her.

Tsuna feels dread creeping up on him.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" She yells, more pissed off than hysterical.

"I said be quiet." The other boy opens his eyes and glares at her.

Tsuna gulps. He'd recognize that glare anywhere. No doubt about it…

"Well, I didn't ask for your opinion, now did I, you STUPID PINEAPPLE HEAD!"

Oh my god…

Hibari-san (because really, Tsuna stopped doubting a while ago) snarls out loud before he launches himself at the girl.

The following fight is short but brutal none the less.

Tsuna winces as the Nara knocks her unconscious in one hit. That had to hurt…

Correction, he knows that hurt. He'd been hit by Hibari-san enough to know.

The Nara gets up, leaving the girl cursing on the ground and walks towards the fire Tsuna made, then proceeds to disappear into one of the sleeping bags.

Tsuna eyes the girl hesitantly but goes closer towards her.

"Go-Gokudera...-kun?" He isn't sure if this risk will pay off or how he'll talk himself out of this if he turns out to be wrong, but...

He's desperate enough to try. The girl freezes and looks up with wide, bright green eyes.  
She hesitates, clearly not sure how to react.

So Tsuna offers her a hand.

"Sasuke-kun?" She asks hesitantly.

He's unsure for a second but steels his nerves. He lights his hand in bright orange flames and she gasps, before grabbing his hand immediately.

Their bond slides into place and Tsuna can't help falling to his knees and melting into the hug she tackles him with.

"Juudaime!" She wails through her tears.

And now he's crying as well, because their bond feels so much more solid than it had ever been before. So much stronger. Just like Takeshi's.

"I will not repeat myself, herbivores." Threatens the sleeping bag blob behind them frostily and, though he knows the cloud will hit him for this, hard, Tsuna can't help but burst out laughing.  
That's three out of seven guardians back in his sky. Things are looking up.

**TBC.**

Sorry for the wait!

Most of you predicted Sakura-Hayato! I hope it didn't disappoint ^^ Do you like Hibari-Shika?

Leave me a review on your way out please!?


	4. Three elements in a Sky

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn! I just wish I did.

Beta: the lovely **Midnight-Kitsune11**. Also lovely shout out to **Honey Drops Peach (Happy very early birthday!), and my other discord friends** (you know who you are ). Thank you all!

AN: Thanks to everyone for your lovely reviews! It means a lot! I didn't reply because I don't want to spoil anything ^^ I hope you understand

AO3: Thank you to everyone who left a comment! I absolutely love you all! If I didn't reply to you, it's because I didn't want to spoil anything ^^ I hope you understand.

**Three elements in a Sky**

Tsuna had cursed himself. Things were looking up? Really? He just had to think that...  
Now don't get him wrong, he's ecstatic to have found the both of them, but really? Gokudera-kun had clung to him all night long and now he had to deal with Hibari-san being 'cranky' in the morning. His cloud was _definitely not_ a morning person.

Their bond had snapped back into place earlier, when Tsuna had handed Hibari-san one of the ration bars that functioned as breakfast and, while he hadn't felt close to Hibari-san like he had Hayato and Takeshi, their bond snapping into place is just as intense. It was a surprise (and at the same time not) how possessive his Cloud is of him. Hibari-san had never acted like it, but something told Tsuna that he might just do so this time around.

Gokudera-kun is still sleeping, almost curled around Tsuna, who sits up in his sleeping bag and munches on his own food. He hadn't managed to actually sleep last night, too worried something might jump them during the night. He feels exhausted, but he regrets nothing. Who knew what else wandered around in these woods…

His Storm shoots up and away from him. She blinks slowly and looks around. Her hair falls in front of her face and Tsuna can see realisation set in. He can see her realise what is going on, remembering what happened yesterday.

Tusna can see she's on the verge of a panic attack. "Good morning, how are you feeling?" he asks, focusing his Storm's attention on himself and away from his/her descend into panic.

He hesitates, not sure how to address his Storm…

"Feeling?" the pink haired girl chokes out.

Tsuna regrets bringing it up. He really wants her/him to calm down. "Do you want something to eat?"

He/she makes a strange choked sound, nearly frantic now, clutching at their hair.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god, ohgod, ohgod, ohgodohgodohgodohgod-"

"Gokudera-kun?!" Tsuna calls out alarmed.

Hibari-san watches the Storm with wide eyes, but Tsuna's attention is focused on Hayato.

The Storm doesn't seem to hear him.

"Hayato!" Tsuna snaps out sharply. This should get his/her attention, he's never called his Storm by his first name before this.

And indeed, the bright green eyes immediately snap to him and focus.

"You need to calm down now." Tsuna tries to sooth him/her. "It's going to be alright."

"Calm down? Calm down!? How?! How can I when apparently I lost my dick in this whole rebirth business? Whose bright idea was that? I fucking look like a hybrid cross between Bianci and G! What could possibly be worse than this?!" The Storm explodes.

"Well, I'm not sure if it compares," Tsuna bites out with a nonchalant shrug, "but my brother murdered my entire family, before he completely traumatised me by making me relive what he did over and over again."

She pales as she sucks in a choked breath.

Hibari-san straightens, a very serious look in his eyes.

"Takeshi has lived alone ever since the orphanage kicked him out and for some unknown reason most of the villagers hate him, which makes it nearly impossible for him to enter shops. Food was a real issue before I came to live with him." Tsuna continues. "Are we worse off than you? I don't know. I realise I have no idea how you feel, how bad this is for you, Hayato, but it's not been easy for us either. If you don't want to be a girl, then you don't have to be. Boy or girl, both if you want to, we won't care either way. You're our Storm. That's all that matters."

It is harsh but he needs to shock her out of her panic. He honestly doesn't want to hurt any of his guardians, his family, but…

It's quiet for a second before Hayato chokes back a sob.

"Juudaime!"

Yeah, Tsuna really should have seen that tackle/hug coming. He crashes into the ground but he doesn't have the heart to push her away, even when it causes his side to flare in pain.

He/she completely melts into the hug and starts crying.

He hugs her a bit closer, tears in his own eyes.

"This is a mess." Hibari-san complains with a sigh.

Hayato snorts and starts laughing loudly, and if he/she sounds slightly hysterical, well, Tsuna really can't blame him/her.

"Yeah, you can say that again." He replies dryly to his Cloud. "Let's end this exercise and go home."

Hibari-san is the first to get up and he immediately starts packing his sleeping bag. Hayato sniffles a little bit before he/she gets up as well. Tsuna follows and gives her/his hand a last squeeze before they turn to help their Cloud. It doesn't take them long at all, even with Tsuna being hurt. Luckily Hayato's foot seemed much better and he has no trouble walking on it today.

Their trip back out of the forest turns out to be quite short. Not that any of them notices. Hayato sticks very close to Tsuna and Hibari-san takes the lead. They don't talk, but none of them feel the need to. The silence is comfortable and they can feel each other's flames dancing across their bonds.

Takeshi and some other of their classmates were already waiting for them, together with their sensei.

Their Rain seems worried but also delighted to see them. Or only his Sky? Tsuna isn't sure. Would Takeshi even be able to recognize the other two? As anything more than _just_ their classmates, but also their family?

It quickly becomes clear that Takeshi somehow does recognize them. He runs towards them and grins in delight at Hayato.

"So, Hayato, you're a girl now, ey?"

"Oh, geez, thank I hadn't noticed." The Storm sasses.

"You do, you look a lot like your sister now!" Takeshi laughs cheerfully.

Kyoya snorts with a smirk.

Hayato's eyes zero in on the Nara. "Like you're one to talk. You have the exact same hairstyle as that pineapple bastard."

"Haha, that is true." Takeshi confirms.

The smirk vanishes immediately as Kyoya glares at them all. He doesn't move from his spot though. Seems like the lazy Nara attitude might just save Tsuna some headaches this time around.

Hayato and Takeshi continue bickering as if they had never been apart.

Tsuna lets them. If this helps Hayato to find some form of balance after yesterday, then who was he to stop him/her. Besides, he can feel Takeshi's delight, so he's sure the Rain doesn't mind. This is very familiar behaviour for both of them.

The familiarity does them all good. Even Hibari-san is sticking around, through all the noise. He's usually the first to leave.

Tsuna takes the time to wave at Iruka-sensei. They were supposed to report back with him first thing when they arrived, but he can't bring himself to leave his friends, even if only for just a bit.

Tsuna lets his gaze drift. Who here could also be one of them? After all he had found three of his guardians now, there is no reason the others couldn't be here as well.

Right?

Luckily they aren't supposed to go back to the Academy. Once everyone had made it back out of the forest they are dismissed for the day. Without discussing it, Hibari-san and Hayato follow them back to their apartment. The trip there is still filled with Hayato and Takeshi bickering, but Tsuna can't help the small pleased smile on his face.

Hibari-san smirks as he sees it.

The apartment feels even smaller with the four of them and Tsuna absent-mindedly made a note to himself to find a solution to that. Still, Hayato squeezes against his Sky and somehow they all fit around the table.

They stay silent for a while and Tsuna can't help but silently bask in the feeling of three restored bonds.

"So, now what?" Takeshi asks sheepishly.

They look at each other, not sure what to say.

"First," Hibari-san starts dramatically, "Where is your bathroom?"

"Through that door, the door on the left." Takeshi points.

The Cloud stands up and disappears through the door.

They stay silent for several minutes while he is away, exchanging puzzled looks.

When Hibari-san reappears, Tsuna blinks in shock.

"Hah, you look almost the same as before!" Takeshi exclaims.

And indeed he does. Tsuna isn't sure but he suspects the Cloud cut his hair. It's free from his eternal ponytail in any case and it falls (did he style it?!) almost exactly how it did in their previous life.

Hibari-san glares at them. "You will call me Shikamaru."

"How about Shika?" Hayato smirks at the Nara.

"I'll bite you to death." He doesn't move, Hiba- Shikamaru only intensifies his glare.

"I think Shika sounds nice." Tsuna mutters thoughtfully.

They stare at him, and Tsuna turns away with a blush.

Feeling embarrassed he peeks at them, both Hayato and Takeshi are grinning and... is that a blush on his Cloud's cheeks?

"What about you, Haya?" Takeshi asks seriously. "What do we call you?"

Hayato blinks in surprise. "I'm still figuring it out, but... For now, Haya sounds acceptable."

"Haya can be both right?" Tsuna asks encouragingly.

"Yeah." He/she muses thoughtfully.

"That's fine. You can be both Haya-kun and Haya-chan that way. I'll respond to just about anything, to be honest." Takeshi rubs the back of his neck with a sheepish smile.

Haya snorts. "Why doesn't that surprise me?" But there is no bite in his/her voice, mostly just amusement.

Tsuna feels a wave of affection for his guardians, but for Takeshi in particular. He had almost thought the Rain would joke about the issue (and he probably will in the future), but Takeshi had obviously noticed it was way too soon for that.

"Takeshi and I agreed on using our official names only in public." Tsuna informs them.

"You know what, a haircut might be just what I need too." Haya mused before getting up and disappearing into the bathroom.

Shika smirks and Takeshi laughs in delight.

Tsuna can't keep the fond smile of his face.

After their little field trip, they immediately and easily settle into an easy rhythm together. His side heals nicely, if somewhat slowly, but he's honestly just too high on the new bonds to feel the pain. He keeps it nicely disinfected and it's healing very well.

Their sensei and classmates had looked shocked to see the four of them together the next day. They were even more shocked to see the haircuts of both Shika and Haya. It probably didn't help that Haya had raided their closet at the apartment and had taken some of Tsuna's clothes to wear.

Tsuna doesn't mind. Given the problems Takeshi has to buy clothes, Tsuna just buys stuff for the both of them, and Takeshi was growing like crazy now that he was eating decent food.

They probably should go out one of these days to buy both his Rain and Storm some clothes. Haya can keep them in the apartment, if they still don't feel like talking it over with their parents.

Haya practically moves in with them. His Storm only goes home to sleep nowadays, and a lot of his stuff can be found all over their apartment. Haya even has clothes in their closet.

Shika, as Hibari-san demands to be called now, comes over as well. He spends their time together mostly napping, but none of them mind. It's a comfort to have him around.

It feels like they've never been apart, even if it's only been a few days. Having three of his friends back feels like a blessing, but it also makes them all hope. Hope that they aren't alone after all. Though only Tsuna had briefly felt like he was alone (Takeshi had joined him almost immediately. He'd only spend a few days without knowing).

The hope of finding the others (and who exactly would be here? His other guardians? Everyone that had died at the same time they did?) turned to anxiety almost immediately, because how was he going to find them?

They'd all agreed to keep their flames hidden as long as they could because they needed to train, and that wasn't easy without anyone noticing the brightly coloured flames. How the hell were they going to explain that? Ever? How do you explain a bloodline limit that doesn't seem to be limited by to a certain bloodline? Could everyone possibly unlock Hyper Dying Will Flames? Or only the people who had done so in their previous life? If so, how do you start to explain reincarnation to a bunch of suspicious shinobi?

Could non-flame people even see the flames? Because Tsuna had been convinced they couldn't in their last life. The people in Namimori really would have mentioned it if he seemingly set himself on fire, right? They'd mentioned him running around in his underwear often enough...

Both Hayato and Hibari-san began to spend most of their free time at their apartment, so when Tsuna comes home one night after helping out at Ichiraku Ramen, he's not surprised to see Hayato leaning over their table surrounded by books.

"Welcome back." Hayato greets him with a smile.

Tsuna smiles and walks further into the apartment. He drops his groceries in the kitchen and halts as he spots what his Storm is studying.

"Are those… explosive seals?" he asks tentatively.

She smiles brightly. "Yeah!"

He stays silent for a while. "I realise this place is getting small for all of us here, but blowing up the apartment is not a solution."

Hayato splutters. "What? No, that isn't what this is!"

"What is it then? Do you have another reason to keep half written seals within Takeshi's reaching space?"

Hayato nickers. "He's out, following Shika around."

"That's good."

"You alright?" Hayato asks nonchalantly with his eyes not leaving his notes.

"Huh?" He blinks.

"You don't talk a lot, but you usually at least try. Is something wrong?"

"I have a lot on my mind, is all… How are things for you?"

Hayato sighed deeply. "It's tough, I guess. My parents are starting to notice I'm different. They're starting nagging me about a lot of different things, like the Academy and stuff."

"And the whole… girl thing?"

"It's been surprisingly okay. I still feel more like a guy than a girl, mostly. I'm not looking forward to puberty. At all." Hayato grimaces.

Tsuna mirrors his Storm. Yeah, clearly he got lucky. He can't imagine what it must be like to suddenly be a girl.

"Anyway, have you thought of finding another place?" Hayato asks hesitantly. "It's just, this place is… very nice and all, but it's a little small, even for the four of us. How will we all fit in here when we find the others?"

Tsuna sighs. "I know, it's just… I can't get access to any of the Uchiha money until I graduate from the Academy, and even with both our stipends, Takeshi and I really can't afford a bigger place right now. So…"

He trails off.

"There is a solution, you know." His Storm eyes him from beneath his eyelashes. "You told me the Hokage wanted to send you back to the Uchiha district."

Tsuna blanches. Going back there?

Really?!

Oh god.

Just thinking about that place sends his mind spiralling back into those memories. Dead bodies, blood, red spinning eyes…

He's gasping for breath when someone hugs him.

"Really now, Haya-chan, why would you bring that up without us here? I told you we needed to be careful." Takeshi scolded their Storm seriously.

"I'm sorry, it just came up." The Storm mutters and reaches out to squeeze Tsuna's hand.

Shika sighs deeply and leans into the Sky/Rain hug.

And Tsuna can breathe again.

It stays silent for a while, before Shika starts snoring.

Tsuna can't help but snort, and the other two start giggling.

"By the way, Shika, didn't you bring something?" Takeshi reminds the Cloud.

The Nara grunts, but extracts himself from their pile and goes back outside. He comes back.

Tsuna watches with wide eyes as he dumps two unconscious bodies next to him.

"What did you do?" He asks incredulously.

"The girl annoyed me, and Choji would have told our parents, no matter our friendship."

So he'd bitten the girl to death.

But that didn't explain why he brought them home, like a cat presenting their owner with their caught dead mouse.

"Why did you bring two of our classmates home, unconscious? What do you expect me to do? Tie them up and string them from the ceiling?" Tsuna can't help the sarcasm, he really can't.

Takeshi laughs. "Oh yeah, like big piñatas."

Haya splutters with laughter and the other two boys snort.

"Check them. For flames." Shika said. "Else I'm getting rid of the girl."

Tsuna eyes his Cloud warily. Get rid of the girl? Is Shika actually planning a murder?

"She's the Yamanaka heir and our parents are best friends. It would be suspicious, so I won't kill her." Shika said indignant. "Yet, anyway." He finishes with a smirk.

"Not yet?" Tsuna raises an eyebrow at his Cloud.

Shika only smirks.

Tsuna feels like hitting someone, either his Cloud or himself, but he refrains. He barely has his Cloud and Storm back, so he doesn't want to chance it.

"It wouldn't hurt to check them for Flames." Haya brings the conversation back on topic.

"True, true." Takeshi nods enthusiastically.

"How? I don't want to risk setting this place on fire."

Takeshi shrugs, as if he doesn't mind their apartment might go up in flames. Tsuna shoots him a stern look.

"You don't need to go into full Hyper Dying Will mode to use Flames." Haya explains. "Just try to feel them like you can feel our bonds right now. Gently. See if that works."

Tsuna sighs, and he feels sceptical, but tries it anyway. It takes him a while and he closes his eyes to help him focus. He can feel his three elements, their Flames radiating from them, and it's difficult to pinpoint the other two but when he finds them, it takes him a second to realise what he is feeling.

He frowns, unsure for just a moment before it all falls into place.

"What?" he whispers softly with a deep sigh, eyes wide open.

"What's wrong?" Haya immediately asks and Takeshi straightens. Shika's eyes narrow and he crouches, ready to pounce.

"I recognize them, but… I … I hadn't thought…" He struggles to put his thoughts into words.

"Just tell us." Shika's gaze doesn't waver as he makes eye contact, and it helps Tsuna get back into control.

"Kusakabe-san and Lall."

"WHAT?!" his Storm explodes.

Takeshi laughs in disbelief and Shika smirks in satisfaction.

Iruka POV:

He isn't sure what to think. Uchiha Sasuke is back in class, not even a week after he had been released from the hospital. Whose bright idea was that?

Iruka really doesn't think the boy is ready. It's too soon. The boy is fidgeting in his chair, and clings to Naruto of all people during the entire class. Is he shaking? Yes, Iruka's eyes widen as he sees the distrustful eyes Sasuke throws towards his classmates. There is nothing left of the enthusiastic, if slightly arrogant, boy who loved coming to class.

And if that isn't change enough, Naruto is acting … different as well. He smiles less, and sticks to Sasuke's side exclusively, and when he smiles, it seems more earnest than any smile he can remember seeing on the boy. He doesn't try to talk to Sakura all the time any more, or any of his other classmates, at all. Is he trying to shield Sasuke from the other students? What?

The blond isn't trying to get Iruka's attention as much as before either. He hasn't asked to go to eat Ramen since either, now that he thinks on it…

Other than that, classes resume as if nothing happened.

Then comes the training exercise in the forest. It's a big success with the students each year and he is adamant in dividing the two of them for this exercise. Not because he doesn't want them to spend time together (he was so proud Naruto had made his first friend) but to encourage them to get to know the other students because their co-dependency could turn out to be dangerous in the long term. It isn't healthy.

But instead of that, the duo seems to have picked up two others. Ever since then, Haruno Sakura and Nara Shikamaru seem glued to the other two. Shikamaru who Iruka doesn't think has been anywhere without his best friend Choji and the Nara still spends time with him, but less than before. Oh, they are always together at school, but he sees the Nara leave with the other three more often than not, and when he is napping, they are usually around, speaking softly as to not wake him. Hell, he's seen Naruto whisper. He'd nearly had a heart attack. A quiet Naruto is a dangerous (pranky) Naruto after all.

Sakura is an even bigger surprise. The girl had tried before, she's one of Sasuke's more hard-core fan girls, so of course she has, but he'd never thought that she'd succeed in anyway, or that Sasuke would allow it. Even then, their dynamics were nothing like what he had expected. Sakura still seemed to idolise Sasuke, but she was more subtle about it. She seemed more calm about it, more at ease with her position in the group and Naruto stopped getting to try her to go out with him. If anything the blond kept teasing her, triggering her temper and then laughing at her.

It also doesn't help that both Shikamaru and Sakura drastically changed their looks. He can still hear Ino's screech ringing in his ear. The Yamanaka heir had not taken the change in the pinkette well. The shoulder length hair, the clothes (that if Iruka wasn't wrong, actually belonged to Sasuke?) and the fact that Sasuke let Sakura sit next to him.

The pinkette had exploded and both girls had been screaming at each other from one side of the classroom to the other. Naruto had laughed brightly, Sasuke kept a close eye on both girls (was he really worried about Sakura?) and Shikamaru had somehow, despite all the noise, fallen asleep on his desk.

Once Iruka had gotten both girls to shut up, (in truth he'd only gotten Ino to shut up. Sasuke had laid his hand on Sakura's arm and the girl had immediately shut up and smiled at the Uchiha) class had started. Ino hadn't said anything about it since (that he knew of), but she glared somewhat fiercely at the pinkette.

Still that incident aside, they are quite the group…

Iruka is glad for them and can't help but smile as he sees their antics.

**TBC.**

Who saw that coming? How will Lall and Kusakabe Tetsuya react (once they wake up xp)? Let me know what you think, please!?

It might be a while till I update again, I'll be going on holiday in July and won't have access to a computer, so…

Leave a review/comment on the way out please! ^^


	5. Found

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn! I just wish I did.

Beta: the lovely **Midnight-Kitsune11**. Also lovely shout out to **my discord friends** (you know who you are ^^). Thank you all!

AN: Thanks to Mukuro234, shadewatcher, Lillalay, Demi-Witch Dreamer and the three guests for your lovely reviews! It means a lot!

AO3: Thank you to everyone who left a comment! I absolutely love you all! If I didn't reply to you, it's because I didn't want to spoil anything ^^ I hope you understand.

**Chapter 5: Found**

"Well, this feels strangely familiar." The blond girl mutters as she stirs.

Tsuna lets out a sigh of relief. Both Lall and Kusakabe-san have been lying unconscious in the apartment for a while now and he'd started getting worried.

And nervous. Very nervous.

The girl rubs at her head while the boy next to her groans. She blinks and looks around with a grimace.

At first sight, both are a bit disorientated, but neither seem to have a splitting headache. That's good.

She studies them intently before turning towards Tsuna.

"Oi, Sawada, an explanation would be nice!" She snaps grumpily.

Tsuna tried to hide his unease. "Would it be alright if we wait for Kusakabe-san to be more aware?"

"Sure, sure." She looks down at the boy next to her. Kusakabe-san comes around about ten minutes later and Tsuna starts explaining.

"Huh", is Lall's only reaction when he's done talking.

"That's all?" Haya asks sceptically. "Why are you so calm about this?" The Storm gestures around them.

"What did you expect?" Lall shrugs.

Haya points towards Kusakabe-san, who paled so much he could pass for a corpse.

"I've done this shit before. Kinda. At least this time around I didn't get turned into a baby." Lall shrugs again. "I'm starting to get used to this." She grimaces at the idea.

"Kyo-san?"

"Right here." Shika grunts.

"KYO-san!" The boy shouts happily with tears threatening to burst forth.

Tsuna blinks in shock. He hadn't expected that emotional outburst! His eyes go wide in shock as Shika only sighs and pats Kusakabe-san on the head, as if he were a pet. And there go the tears.

But honestly, Tsuna can only smile softly at the two. Having Shika without Kusakabe-san around just wasn't the same. He's glad for his Cloud.

"Urgh." Lall grimaces. "I have a crush on _you_?!" She shoots Tsuna a horrified look. Tsuna flushes.

"Haha, yeah, you and Haya both!" Takeshi laughs.

"Oi!" Haya exclaims.

"Yeah, yeah," Lall shoots Haya a smile, "Not much has changed there. You always had a crush on your Sky."

Haya turns redder than Tsuna has ever seen him before. He's a bit embarrassed himself.

"But me? I'm supposed to have better taste than that." Lall continues with a grimace.

She blinks and a faraway look enters her eyes as she falls silent.

"Is anyone else here?" she suddenly asks frantically, looking ready to reach over the table and shake him frantically. Or slap him, Tsuna isn't sure.

He shakes his head. "This is everyone, that we know of."

"But there could be others, right?" She sounds almost desperate.

And Tsuna can't help but think back to seeing Lall desperately clutching a faded blue pacifier. He feels bad for her.

They all lost people by dying.

"It's only us for now. We'll have to see if who else we'll find, but…" Haya says before trailing off uncertainly.

Tsuna doesn't like seeing his usually overconfident Storm like this, so he bumps his shoulders against Haya's. The Storm straightens. "I first thought that we were all here because we're all bonded together, as Sky and guardians. But, with you two showing up, that explanation doesn't really hold. It could be that for some strange, at the moment inexplicable, reason, we're all here because we all died together – together and at about the same time."

Tsuna nods. However depressing that thought is, it does make sense, and he has thought that before. He'd seen it as a possibility. Some sick part of him had even hoped for it.

He never wants to be alone again.

Lall visibly gets herself together during Haya's explanation.

"Guess that does make sense. While I was allied to the Vongola, my only relationship with all of you, if it can be called that, is that of mentor. I didn't do more than help you get used to a time ten years into your own future." Lall muses. "So, what's the plan?"

Tsuna shrugs. "Honestly, we haven't really thought about it yet. It's clear now that us finding each other is not simply us being lucky for once."

"There's a pattern. Or at least, we're starting to see one." Haya adds. "You two are the first we found while actively looking for someone."

"Let's get some more finding done then." Lall grins. "At least four more."

They mirror her and Tsuna's heart is soaring in delight.

The next few days, they avoid the heavy topics after that and get to know each other again. They give themselves time to either fall back into old patterns or to create new ones. Having someone who is 100% girl in their group changes their dynamics.

Not in a bad way, but it did change things. One of the first things Lall did was take Haya shopping. They are gone for hours and when they get back, Lall immediately seizes part of their closet and dumps whatever was in there through their window.

Tsuna can only watch with wide eyes as she does so (she's throwing away stuff they haven't touched in what feels like forever, so he can't say he really minds).

After that she forces Haya in to their bathroom with one of the bags they brought back and shuts the door.

Tsuna is unsure about that, but he is so happy he doesn't intervene, so _so _happy, because Haya comes out in an outfit that screams Hayato, with skull decorations and everything. It's an outfit with a skirt and it's the first obviously female outfit he sees Haya wear without her looking uncomfortable.

Whatever Lall was done, she's obviously managed to take away the last of Haya's unease with the whole gender bender thing.

"That looks nice." He smiles at his Storm.

Haya smiles back, a bright confident smile. "It feels good. Not something I'd wear every day, but for those girly-feeling days, this is nice."

"Good! You should at least try being a girl before you completely write it off." Lall comments. "You can make an educated choice after that."

Haya smiles at her. "I'm going to try on some other stuff."

Tsuna waits till Haya's back into the bathroom and turns towards Lall. "How did you pay for all that? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy you took Haya out and bought them all this, but… I can't really pay you back for it. We're very limited for cash right now."

Lall eyes him with a frown. "Limited for cash? You're the heir of the Uchiha. You're the last one left. You should be swimming in money."

He shrugs, uncomfortable to be reminded.

Her eyes narrow. "I barely spent any of my pocket money. I'm the heiress of the Yamanaka clan. You don't need to pay me back. I've bought myself a whole lot of new stuff as well. It's normal, right? We all were two different people when we started remembering, and by the end of it we're not the same any more. None of us will be, even the ones who decide to favour one personality over the other. It's only logical that our taste in fashion and other things would change as well."

"You're taking this very well." Tsuna can't help but notice.

She shrugs again. "We talked it over during our shopping. No worry, everyone who heard us thought we were talking about a game of some sort. From what I understand, I didn't get the huge brain splitting headache, so maybe everything just fell into place more smoothly."

Tsuna pales. Does that mean he'd hurt his friends?

She notices his expression. "Nothing to do about it now so stop those thoughts. Don't make me slap you, because you know I will." She readies her hand, as an obvious threat.

Tsuna shrinks back and nods frantically.

"Going back to the money issue, I'll take a look to see what can be done. There should be a way for you to access your family's money. Clan laws are all about protecting the clan. There will be a loophole somewhere, and if it exists, I'll find it."

"I'll help." Haya proposes as he comes out of the bathroom again.

His Storm and Lall smirk at each other, and instead of feeling trepidation at their look, Tsuna feels warm inside and he gives them a small smile in appreciation. "Thanks."

Going to the Academy a few days after Lall and Kusakabe-san awoke is nerve wracking.

Not because of their lessons or anything like that, but because today is the day they agreed to try and check to see if any of their classmates would 'wake up' like they had all done. To see if any of their missing members were hiding in their numbers. It couldn't be a coincidence that until now they'd all turned out to be in the same class though and, while Kusaka-Choji-kun had been hesitant, they had all agreed to try and test to see if anyone else in their class would 'awaken'.

Takeshi had walked with him this morning and Shika and Kusaka-Choji-kun are already waiting for them. Takeshi cheerfully takes an offered chip and starts talking with them. Well, with Choji-kun. Shika is never really in a very talkative mood, and honestly, Tsuna is feeling too nervous to pay too much attention.

Haya and Lall join them soon after and they find seats close together. He's curious to how their sleepover/research night went, but they don't bring up the subject and Tsuna's concentration focuses on every one of their classmates that step through the door. He'll ask them later.

Class seems to take forever. Iruka-sensei has never managed to make their history classes really interesting, but this is … Tsuna can't focus, not on what he is saying, and his sensei's voice is droning in the background as he studies everyone in class intently. He spends most of his day wondering who could be one of them.

As soon as Iruka-sensei starts dismissing them for the day, Tsuna is ready. It only takes a small nudge for his Flames to gently go out and go over everyone like a gentle shock-wave. It is a risk, even with Lall assuring them that people without Flames wouldn't be able to pick up on it, because while that might be the way it had been in their old world, they had no guarantee that it would be the same here. It's why Lall, Shika and Haya were keeping a very close eye on Iruka-sensei right now. To see if he showed any sign of reaction.

Tsuna only had attention for his Flames and any reaction they caused.

Bingo.

That's one.

Inuzuka Kiba.

Huh, he should have guessed Lambo would be just as loud in this life than in the last. He smiles softly as their bond clicks into place.

His Lightning is home.

Tsuna can feel their delight.

His Flames continue on.

Ah, there is another one.

Really Ipin turning out to be Hyuuga Hinata isn't a surprise either. Shy little Ipin, the girl with a temper that always fought with Lambo and occasionally blew up when she was around a guy she found handsome.

He sure hopes she doesn't have that ability anymore…

He still needs to check the far back of the room.

And that is when the surprise hits.

Chrome is here. He lets his smile stretch on his face.

Now that is a surprise. Aburame Shino.

Another gender change. But Shino had always been very mysterious, he doesn't think anyone has ever seen his face completely uncovered.

It is a surprise, but it also makes sense.

Their bond also clicks into place the moment their Flames mingle and he frowns briefly. So lonely. She feels so lonely…

Not anymore.

He opens his eyes. All three are watching him with wide smiles and equally wide eyes. All his bonds sing with joy and he can see and feel the other's matching grin. He might not have bonded with Lall, Kusa-Choji-kun or Ipin the way he did with the others, but they were his none the less.

If they wanted to be, that is. But he certainly considered them Family and that is all that matters.

Only his Sun is still missing now.

The apartment is full again. Tsuna likes it that way, but sometimes it feels overwhelming, too crowded, but he'd never ask anyone to leave. Not them, not ever. So he does the next best thing and retreats to the bedroom. He likes being on the small balcony, leaning against the railing and just watching the village.

It doesn't help that they'd found three reincarnations in class today. Not that he isn't happy he's found them, but really, they had barely fit into this apartment before. They really need to find a new place where everyone can feel at home.

Now, Ipin is making dinner in their way-too-small apartment, gracefully dodging the ruckus that Lambo is making at the table with the others and Haya has locked himself with Chrome in the bathroom. They probably had a lot to talk about the gender changes. Though Chrome had immediately applied her Mist illusions the moment she walked through the door, and suddenly it was like she had never been anyone but Chrome. She looked exactly the same.

"Are you alright?"

He looks up. Kiba smiles at him as he joins him on the small balcony. He copies Tsuna's position. The Sky can't help but smile at the Inuzuka.

"Fine. Bit too crowded in there, so…" He shrugs.

"I know. Especially with Tako-chan yelling at everyone." Kiba grins at him.

He snorts. Yeah, Hayato was still Hayato, never mind what life he was living. Never mind that he was physically a girl this time around.

"I usually quite like watching them all." His Lightning says.

And isn't that an understatement. Whether Haya was a boy or a girl, these two still liked to bicker and tease each other. Lam-Kiba was also able to get away with saying stuff that others probably wouldn't without Haya blowing them to kingdom come.

Lambo had been obnoxious, too young to realise how he was behaving. Kiba had been wild, always with a nearly feral grin on his face.

This suited him better now, the combination of the two. Luckily he didn't (wasn't able to?) hide any explosives in his hair anymore. While Tsuna had loved Lambo like the annoying little brat he was, he can't say he misses all the yelling and the explosions.

BANG.

Spoke to soon.

They both turned back, looking through the bedroom as if they could catch a glimpse of what had happened, no such luck since there is a wall standing in their way, but they did see some smoke drifting through the open door from the corridor.

"Still alive!" Takeshi calls happily. "Everyone's fine!"

Tsuna snorts again.

Kiba laughs out loud, completely uncaring about trying to keep quiet.

"You were deep in thought earlier. Anything you want to talk about?" he asks a little later.

"Not really." Tsuna mutters.

Kiba stays silent for a little while. "You don't talk as much as before."

He blinks. "What?"

"You don't talk as much now. You don't screech anymore either." Kiba smiles softly at him. "I'd like to think the screeching thing is a good thing, but you do brood a lot now. Maybe it'll help if you try talking some more."

Tsuna sighs deeply, trying to order his thoughts. "I guess I'm just… still not sure who I am anymore."

"Really? I guess it must be more difficult for you guys. To be honest, I don't remember a lot about being Lambo. I get some flashes, I got scared a lot, but I remember mama and Futa as well. So I think I was more happy than sad or scared. Still, I was what? Five when I died? I barely remember anything I've done when I was five here, as Kiba, let alone another lifetime ago. Still, I remember the Varia battle I was in, and the later battles." He pauses for a bit, a thoughtful look on his face. "It's strange when you think about it, I'm older now than I ever was then."

Tsuna chokes on nothing. "That's…"

"Depressing, I guess?" Kiba tilts his head. "And a happy thought at the same time? Does that make sense?"

"Somehow, yes." Tsuna manages.

His Lightning nods with resolve. "Good."

"I guess I just…" Tsuna sighs again. "I don't… like being Sasuke. I mean, it seems the only time I'm more Sasuke than Tsuna is when I'm feeling depressed and sad. I can't stop seeing my parents die. Again and again. I just…."

"Maybe you should stop thinking about whether you're being Tsuna or Sasuke?" Kiba says as he struggles to continue. "You don't need to be either. I'm not. Just try to find what works best for you. Stop thinking so much, and just react to stuff."

He blinks and watches him with wide eyes.

"You don't need to be Sasuke. Or Tsuna. You went through something highly traumatising. Twice. I think you're allowed to just… be. Happy, preferably." He smiles at Tsuna. "You're our Sky, whether you're Tsuna, Sasuke, or even a mix of both. Or even someone completely different. It won't matter to us. And aren't we the only ones whose opinions matter now?"

"You are." Is all he manages to say.

"Good. So just stop over-thinking things. We won't care either way."

"Does that even work, not thinking?" he asks wryly, suddenly feeling exhausted again.

"It does for me." Kiba smiles brightly.

Tsuna smiles back, feeling lighter than he has in a while, because Kiba is right. He could decide to leave the village, to stay and become a cook instead of a shinobi, he could do everything he ever wanted, and his family would be right there with him, supporting him. He should not have had to have that pointed out to him, because he knows that. They'd all proven that once already.

He once again thanks whatever deity is out there for his family.

BANG.

"We're okay!" yells Haya.

There is smoke coming from the bathroom?

Tsuna sighs wryly. They really need a bigger place though.

**Inoichi POV**

"Princess, what are you doing?" Inoichi raises an eyebrow at the unlikely scene before him.

His little girl is buried in what looks to have been a controlled landslide of books and scrolls. A bright pink haired child peeks up from under the heap, shoots him a dismissive look and ducks back under.  
Had he just been dismissed by the... is that a girl or a boy? He really isn't sure. But such an attitude. In his own house none the less...

Well, it's not something he's used to, to say the least.

"Oh, hi daddy." Ino-chan smiles innocently at him.

He's immediately on guard. (Well even more than before.)

"What are you doing?" He asks warily.

"Just looking up some obscure clan laws." She continues smiling as if she just told him she's going to play outside.

"Should I be worried?"

"Of course not! Bye daddy!"

And he's dismissed again.

Of course he's worried. His baby has never voluntarily studied anything. Nor has she ever brought kids over (dare he say friends) that weren't Shikamaru or Choji. It wasn't until seeing her with another kid (still not sure if that was a boy or a girl), that he realised how little Ino actually socialised with kids her own age. Sure, she'd rules the playgrounds like a queen, but that was years ago now.

Not to mention, Ino had always been scared to get dirty. Well, she was raised a shinobi, so she wasn't scared of it, per se, but she'd always made it more than clear that she hated it (his ears were still ringing).

And now she was covered in dust, browsing book and scrolls as if she was doing this every day.

And why on earth did those two choose clan laws to study, of all the subjects. Nothing more boring out there.

What is going on?

**TBC.**

Please leave a review on your way out! It means the world to me and it helps me get inspired to write the next chapter!


	6. A new place

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn! I just wish I did.

Beta: the lovely **Midnight-Kitsune11**. Also lovely shout out to **Honey Drops Peach, and my other discord friends** (you know who you are ). Thank you all!

AN: Thanks to everyone for your lovely reviews/comments! It means a lot! I didn't reply because I don't want to spoil anything ^^ I hope you understand

**So, Happy Birthday to me! In true hobbit tradition, here is my present to you! ^^**

**This is the longest chapter for this fic till now! XD ENJOY!**

Character index: because someone asked for it ;)

Tsuna = Sasuke

Takeshi = Naruto

Hayato = Sakura

Kyoya = Shikamaru

Lall = Ino

Kusakabe = Choji

Lambo = Kiba

Ipin = Hinata

Chrome = Shino

**Chapter 6: A new place**

"So," Hayato starts as he dumps several scrolls on their table. His hair is still up in his typical messy bun. All he really misses now are glasses to complete his research look.

Shika startles awake and glares at the Storm.

The pink hair still takes some getting used to, especially in these kind of situation when his Storm shines. Tsuna really enjoys watching his guardians in their element, doing what they love doing, but it's a look that looks particularly good on Hayato.

It had taken a while, but Hayato was starting to figure himself out. Not that Tsuna minds that his Storm took his time, but it had been confusing what to call him. Especially since none of them want to hurt him, even by accident. But Haya-kun had asked them to refer to him as male in general. He had some days where he felt more female than male, but Haya-kun had assured them they'd know when that would be. Either he'd wear girl clothes or he'd tell them when he wanted to be called she and her.

He seems comfortable like this, but Tsuna isn't sure if he really is. Hayato has always tried to hide any discomfort, so he tries to keep a close eye on the Storm.

Just in case…

They are all cramped around the table in the apartment. Kiba is sitting on the kitchen counter to save space, with a wide grin and swinging his legs around. He's narrowly missing kicking Lall in the back of her head.

"I finally found it. I have some good and some bad news."

Takeshi scratches his head. "What exactly are you talking about? Aren't we working on our essay for Iruka-sensei?"

"Clearly reincarnation hasn't done you any favours in the brains department, you Ramen nut." Hayato sighs annoyed, but without malice.

"Now, now, let's play nice." Tsuna stops them before they can start an argument. "Haya-kun, what did you find?"

"To summarise for those who have forgotten." Haya sends Takeshi a glare. "We have been talking about whether or not we want to actually graduate and become shinobi."

"Oh right." Takeshi rubs the back of his head with a laugh.

And they had talked about it. The idea of being a shinobi isn't attractive to Tsuna. He really doesn't want to fight if he doesn't have to. He's still thinking about what he does want, but he hasn't made up his mind yet. Some of his Guardians hadn't minded, others liked the idea but they all abhorred the idea of having no choice in the matter. Having to follow orders. Having no say in what mission they would take. So Haya-kun had taken up an extra research project to find out if there was actually anything they _can_ do.

"Well, the good news is, I found a way to make it work. But it won't be easy. The easiest way would be to quit the Academy. However, I don't see that working for anyone but me. Except for me and Blondie here, you are all clan heirs. There is no way they'll let just you quit."

"Especially not the 'last Uchiha'." Lall agrees while she makes the quote marks in the air.

"What about me though?" Takeshi asks.

"You? In theory, it could work. But the Hokage is much too interested in you to let you go." Hayato says with a grimace.

"What do you mean?" Takeshi tilts his head in confusion.

"Do you really think the Hokage personally checks up on every orphan?" Hayato raises an eyebrow.

Takeshi looks sheepish. "He just likes me."

"Maybe. But there is more to it. He bought you this apartment right?"

"Yeah."

"It's in your name?"

"Yeah."

"And wasn't he the one to enrol you in the Academy in the first place? Did he ever ask you if you wanted to go?"

Takeshi adapts a thinking pose. "Hmmm. He did enrol me, but I've wanted to be a shinobi since I was still at the orphanage, so I can't be sure if he actually asked me…"

Tsuna frowns, not liking where his thoughts are taking him on this topic. Any adult showing such interest in an orphan is enough to alarm him.

"Anyway, I'm not sure what he wants with you, not yet, but I'll find out. Point is, I don't think he'll just let you go. Seeing as none of you can get out of that school, I'll stay as well and we'll graduate together. It's not like it'll be believable if we all fail to graduate, so we won't have much of a choice there."

"How is that staying out of the shinobi ranks?" Shika asks with a grimace.

"If you people could stop interrupting me, I'd be able to explain." Hayato snarls. "Once graduation is over, we'll be put on a team, yes? Now, genin aren't allowed to retire. Unless they are deemed physically unfit to serve the village, but I don't think that is an option for us. However Chuunin _are_, they can retire from the force as early as six months after their promotion if they have the recommendation of a clan leader. Ideally, we manage to get promoted during the same exams, the first we'd be able to participate in, but if not it should honestly take us no more than two tries."

He pauses for dramatic effect. Or to see if someone will interrupt here.

They don't.

"So, we have to survive long enough to participate in the exams and then we can retire after six months as a chuunin."

"Euhm… question?" Takeshi hesitantly raises his hand.

Hayato sighs. "Yes?"

"You said a clan head had to dismiss us, how do we get one to agree to that? Something tells me that isn't something they'd just agree to…"

Now a vicious grin appears on the Storm's face. "It's simple really. We don't. Tsuna-sama will be able to do it. Once an orphaned clan heir, having been heir for at least three years, gains the rank of chuunin and seeing as there is no clan leader at that particulate moment, they automatically become clan head the moment they get promoted. Tsuna-sama will be able to take care of that."

"So, that is our aim." Determination is radiating off Lall. "That also means that Tsuna needs to at least be promoted before the others. Otherwise, they might be stuck in the chuunin ranks for quite some times. The missions will be more dangerous then."

Hayato nods.

Shika sighs, but straightens up as he watches them all. "So is there a way to rig team placements out of the Academy? I know my father is pulling strings to recreate his generations Ino-shika-cho team, but is there a way to assure the same for you guys?"

"I found a way it might work, but there is no guarantee it'll work." Hayato reluctantly admits with a deep sigh. "For the last ten graduation classes, one team has always been composed of the same members of that class. They always placed the top scoring male and female students together with the lowest grading student. It's the only pattern I can find. If Tsuna-sama and I stay at the top of our class, and the Ramen idiot sabotages his own score to insure his, then we should be good. Since we haven't found Ryohei yet, that leaves Chrome, Lambo and Ipin. All clan heirs and from families specialized in tracking. There have been teams with members from those families before, so chances are they'll try again this time. I don't think anyone else in our class shows enough potential for the village to risk having a clan heir send back to the Academy after graduation because they split you all up."

"Wauw, Hayato, you certainly did your research." Tsuna gave the boy a small but warm smile.

Hayato turned bright red. "L-like I said, there is no absolute certainty this will work, but from what I can gather this village is a bit predictable…"

"Still, we'll try." Lall agrees resolutely. "And if it doesn't work we'll always have plan B."

"Plan B?" Tsuna is almost scared to ask.

"We take over the village." Lall smirks while spreading her arms wide.

Tsuna blinks in shock and watches with nervous trepidation as the rest of his family mirror the former Arcobaleno.

"This is going to be fun." Takeshi grins cheerfully.

"Tsunayoshi, something else." Shika starts seriously. The others calm down immediately. Full name calling is serious business. "Your family used to be solely responsible for the Police force of the Village. I've found out that active shinobi have taken over the job somewhat, but since the Founding charter of the Village dictates that the Uchiha are responsible for it, nothing official has been done about it."

Tsuna blinks as he tries to comprehend what his Cloud is telling him. "Alright?" He asks unsure but with an inkling as to why his Cloud mentioned it.

"I want you to designate me as head of the corps, responsible for rebuilding it and leading it." Shika smirks so wide Tsuna is afraid it'll split his face in two.

Lall actually starts cackling loudly.

"Of dear Lord." Haya sighs exasperated.

"I hadn't realized that is something I have to deal with." Tsuna muses.

"The Hokage will probably tell you about such responsibilities once you're officially a shinobi. A civilian could never lead an organization that is supposed to keep the peace in the village." Chrome reasons while firmly hitting Lall in the back when it looks she might choke while laughing.

Tsuna isn't sure how to feel. On one hand, the idea of Kyoya rebuilding something even remotely resembling the Namimori Shu Disciplinary Committee makes him very scared. On the other hand, the idea that Shika would enforce a dress and hair code on his people is hilarious. And at least, that way the Hokage can't complain that Tsuna isn't taking the Uchiha clan's responsibilities seriously.

"Oh, this is gold! I want in!" Lall manages to say between her cackling.

"Of course I'll help you both. It's lucky the three of us will be assigned the same genin team." Choji-kun smiles softly.

Luck? Tsuna isn't sure luck has anything to do with it. It's not like not being on the same team would have stopped them.

"Sure. Just keep me in the loop alright? Something tells me I'll still need to be somewhat involved." He says wryly.

Lall is laughing like a bad guy in a cheesy movie now. And Shika's grin is matching her bad guy vibes. Choji-kun is sitting between them, smiling as if everything is the way it should be.

And Tsuna can't help but feel a little vindicated. He can't wait to see how the Hokage deals with these three.

Konoha won't know what hits it.

And he's not going to feel sorry for them either.

"I have had it!" Lall snarls as she throws her stuff down with force.

Tsuna startles. It's still early in the morning and his elements and him are the only ones yet in the classroom.

"We need a place just for us! A place where we can all relax and not have to face an interrogation the moment you step into a room!" She continues on.

"That bad again, huh?" Takeshi asks concerned.

Tsuna bites his lips as she turns towards her fellow Rain and actually snarls at him. He knows that most of the parents in their group are getting … suspicious of their children's changed behavior.

They had spoken of it a while ago, all of them crammed into their little apartment and Lambo had been the one to point out (again) that Tsuna had access to a whole complex that was just sitting there unused.

And it is true that the apartment got too small a long while ago. It had even been a tight fit for just Takeshi and him, let alone with eight or nine other people crammed into it.

But just thinking about going back had sent him well on his way into a panic attack. So they had put the subject to rest for a while. But he knew that most of his family had set their mind on claiming a house in the Uchiha district.

Tsuna still isn't very enthusiastic about going back, but honestly, there isn't anything he wouldn't do for his family. Even facing those ghosts, as reluctant as he is… this is something he has to do.

This is something he will do. For them.

After Lall and Hayato had brought the results of their search to them, he'd finally made the decision. Solving their money problem as well as their housing was just too good an argument to ignore.

By the way, who would have thought that clans were so limited by their compound grounds? As long as Tsuna stays in the compound, clan law states that he can't be refused access to his clan's money. Especially since he's the previous clan head's son. And he's the heir now, even if Itachi is still alive.

By not living on the clan grounds, Tsuna had unknowingly rejected every privilege that came with being part of a clan.

Not that he had known he had done that. But even now, he was reluctant to do so. And he is sure he wouldn't have made any other choice fresh out of the hospital.

But now, now he has to be brave. The compound is big. Surely there is a building he hasn't been to before? Where they can set up a home, without constantly having to be reminded of the past? If they redecorate the sober clan houses, he might not constantly be reminded.

Even with that resolve, it's hard to speak the words. And part of him wants nothing more than never mention the decision he made on his own last night.

But the decision is made, and he won't go back on it now.

"We… we'll go after school." Tsuna manages to say. "We'll take a look around the compound and see if we can find a house big enough, that works for everyone. Maybe we can get some paint after that as well, to start redecorating."

They all shoot him approving and thankful looks and it helps erase the feeling of dread that accumulates in his stomach when thinking about his old home. His new re-home-to-be? Is that a thing?

"Good." Kyoya says casually as if this hasn't been a huge step for Tsuna.

And Tsuna is thankful they aren't making a big deal out of it. And that they had been willing to wait for him to be ready to make that decision.

"My old man is starting to act on his curiosity as well. It's getting troublesome." His Cloud continues with a frown.

"Same here. Dad has been giving me such strange looks." Lall says with a huff. "He's getting _very_ annoying, always asking about my day, or if anything is wrong."

Tsuna feels a bit unsure about how to respond to that. For any other children, such behavior would be a sign of care. A sign their parents loved them.

But Lall had been an adult for who knows how long, thanks to the Arcobaleno curse. She probably wasn't handling it well because she wasn't used to having to explain herself to anyone.

And Shika… Well, it actually surprises Tsuna that his Cloud hasn't left his clan compound yet. Clouds, Reborn had told him once, need territory that is theirs to claim. Some use a geographical place (like a city), others claime people as theirs, and neither of them tolerate what they considered as intruders. Kyoya had (from a very young age) once claimed the whole town of Namimori as his. They had all known it to be like that, they had never known it to be any different.

Shika doesn't claim Konoha, he _can't_ really. They are still pretty much at the bottom of the food chain here. They are currently outranked by anyone who isn't a civilian. And Shika only ever listenes to one person. Barely, but he still recognizes Tsuna as his Sky. So the Cloud doesn't even try to lay claim on Konoha. Neither can he do so at home, what with his father and his other clansmen keeping a close eye on him.

So, for now, it seemed he is content enough to claim their apartment, but Tsuna knows the boy will grow restless soon enough. Shika's territory issues is actually another important reason Tsuna even started considering moving back into the Uchiha compound. It would give Shika a place to sooth his instincts and help all his friends with their family issues at the same time. (And Tsuna can't help but feel guilty about letting his friends suffer like that, but it really hadn't been easy on him.)

Choosing a new home they could all fit in in the Uchiha district turns out to be much easier than expected. Tsuna briefly freezes at the entrance gate, but after a nudge from Haya-kun, he's quick to start moving again.

Shika just takes off, without waiting for any of them. Lall follows him closely and the others hurry after the two. The Cloud leads them to one of the bigger buildings on the other side of the grounds with an easy that is very suspicious. It is very clear that he's been here before and there was a big chance he had already chosen a house in advance.

Tsuna raises an eyebrow at the Cloud when he finally stops before his chosen house beforehand and Shika shrugs unbothered. Tsuna refrains from saying anything, as it is a reason not to have to inspect the other houses to closely.

"This one." The Nara says. "I'll be in my room."

And he goes inside.

Hayato splutters and runs after him in indignation, but Tsuna only shakes his head with a small smile. He's seen this coming from miles away.

"This will do nicely," Lall comments before she too walks inside.

Tetsuya hurries after the more destructive members of their group.

"Tsuna? Is this alright?" Takeshi asks him when Tsuna stays there, staring at the house.

He takes a deep breath. "I think so. I've never actually been in this part of the compound before."

And he hasn't.

And isn't that a pleasant surprise?

Ipin takes his hand and they follow their family members into the house. Like most clan houses in Konoha it is old and build in a traditional Japanese style. There is dust everywhere from what he can see, after all the time it has been abandoned.

Hayato barges back into the hall, looking very pale and gently but with urgency pushes Tsuna back outside.

"Why don't we go take a look around and the others can clean this place up a bit in the meantime." His Storm suggests with a strained voice. He holds Tsuna's hand as he leads them around the house.

Tsuna sighs. "What did you find inside that you don't want me to see?"

His family was too protective sometimes…

His pink-haired friend hesitates visibly.

Tsuna falters. "Euhm… I've been told the bodies have been removed… They didn't forget this house, right?!" He feels a bit panicked.

"No ! No!" Hayato reassures him. "It's just… removing the bodies is all they did. So the others are cleaning that up. And they are either throwing out that fridge or they are exorcizing it."

Tsuna pales, but he can't help but snort as he hears the last part. "You spoke of some seals a while ago? As security?" He asks instead, to change the subject.

"Yes, I've been studying them, and I think I have it figured out enough to place some sort of ward around the compound. I think I found a way to get the seal matrix to react to Flames instead of blood or chakra. Which would be an extra level of security."

"I trust you know what you're doing." He gives Haya a small smile. "Just make sure there is a way for us to grant access to others. Temporarily of course, but still. We might get into trouble if no one else in the village can get in. The parents especially will get even more suspicious."

Haya snorts. "Let them."

"Well, I'd rather not provoke them. We do need to get out to buy food, at the very least." He smirks at his Storm, who pouts at him.

"Bossu."

Tsuna turns towards his Mist. "Hey Chrome. Or do you prefer Shino now?"

The bug user hesitates and fidgets into place.

"I ... euhm.. "

"We haven't really had the chance to talk yet." Tsuna says.

He and Haya exchange a look and the Storm nods, before leaving the two to talk.

Tsuna frowns when his Mist doesn't say anything but keep on fidgeting. He's worried. They had never been very close, before. They'd never really had a chance too. The fragile girl had first shown up in his life minutes before the Mist ring battle had taken place. She'd gone off the grid after that, joining them in the future heavily hurt.

He's not sure they ever had a real conversation.

But Chrome is his Mist.

They are all his.

And he's not letting them go now. Not ever again.

He'll do everything to make sure of that.

And the fact that his Mist is looking unsure to talk to him, makes him want to hit someone in the face. Even if Chrome's reaction can be explained by their limited contact in the past.

"What's wrong?" He asks her worried.

"I ... I can't do what Hayato is doing." The Mist blurts out.

Tsuna tilts his head. "What do you mean?"

"I just... I don't ... like ... being a boy."  
She confesses.

Tsuna blinks. "Alright. So, you'd like us to only call you she and her?"

She briefly stares at him, before a small smile and a blush appeared on her face. She looks away but nods resolutely.

"That's fine. I'll let the others know."

"I ... I want to look like me again." She confesses.

He thinks it over. "Well, no one really is sure what you look like under that hood and those sunglasses. I'm sure no one would be too suspicious if you used your Flames to look like you."

She nods. "I thought the same, but... My father is the only one I felt close too before this. He's the only parent that is still around. My mom died years ago."

"You … want to tell him?" Tsuna asks unsure if that is what she means.

"Not everything." She hurries to reassure him. "Not the reincarnation and stuff, just... the girl thing."

"Alright." He easily agrees.

She fidgets again, clearly not sure how to say what she really wants to go talk about. But he can make a good guess.

He gently takes hold of her hand and squeezes. "Do you want me to go with you? To talk to your father?"

"Please?" She still seems so unsure and it breaks his heart.

"Of course."

How can he do anything else? Why would be want to?

He'd do everything for them, after all.

**Aburame Shibi's POV:**

He's not sure what to think. A few days ago, Shino came home from the Academy with some brilliant news.

His boy finally found some friends. He's not sure how it happened, but Shibi's never been more relieved in his life.

He knows from experience how hard it can be for Aburame children to make friends. The weird covering clothes, the bugs, none of it helps …

People aren't very tolerant in general, but children? Children can be downright mean.

So while he is relieved Shino has never been bullied (that he knows of, and he's made it a point to randomly drop by the Academy to check, in a non-creepy way), he knows his son has been lonely.

They are close, of course. Shibi made sure to be around for his boy, but it's not the same. Shino needs some kids his own age to bond with

So when Shino gave him the good news, Shibi had been ecstatic (in his own stoic way).

He had hoped to meet these friends soon, in part also to make sure they weren't taken advantage of his kid in some way, but this is... not what he expected.

He really hadn't thought Shino would bring the Uchiha boy home. What is even weirder, is that Shino seems uncomfortable and it's the Uchiha who reaches out to squeeze his arm.

Shibi's eyes widen behind his glasses when the gesture helps his boy calm down.

This is getting really interesting.

**TBC.**

They finally moved! And some Tsuna-Chrome bonding! Let me know what you think?


	7. Making a home

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn! I just wish I did.

Beta: the lovely **Midnight-Kitsune11**. Also lovely shout out to **Honey Drops Peach, and my other discord friends **(you know who you are). Thank you all!

AN: Thanks to everyone for your lovely reviews! It means a lot! I didn't reply because I don't want to spoil anything ^^ I hope you understand

AO3: Thank you to everyone who left a comment! I absolutely love you all! If I didn't reply to you, it's because I didn't want to spoil anything ^^ I hope you understand.

**_Making a home_**

Tsuna squeezes Chrome's arm while the girl gathers her courage. Her father is watching them curiously, but waits patiently for either of them to start talking.

"Father, this is one of my friends Sasuke Uchiha. I asked him to be here today."

Shibi Aburame nods at Tsuna in greeting and Tsuna nods back politely.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet someone whom Shino deems worthy to befriend."

Tsuna flushes but shoots Chrome a small smile. The girl, who looks like before she remembers she could see Mist flames, flushes but returns the smile shyly.

Shibi continues to watch them carefully. Tsuna studies the man in turn. He _so_ hopes Chrome's father comes through for her in this life! Her last set of parents had left her to die in a hospital room after all. If not for Mukuro, Tsuna would never had the chance to meet her and, while he doesn't know her that well yet, he can't imagine not having her around.

Part of him wonders where Mukuro is now, and if he's doing alright. As far as they know (from what Chrome had found out and told them) Mukuro had been free and fighting at their side against Byakuran in the future, but what exactly had happened to him was anyone's guess.

Tsuna hadn't really become close to the guy. He'd been closer to Chrome, if he was to be honest. Mukuro attacking him and his friends when they met, just because of his supposed title as heir, was probably a big part of that. Still, the guy had come through for them during the ring battles, and Tsuna had been willing to give him a chance to form a Mist bond with him. Despite Reborn and his father telling him that Mukuro was his Mist, Tsuna's Mist had been both Mukuro and Chrome – they'd shared that position. Though Tsuna suspected that his father saw the girl only as a means to get access to Mukuro.

He can't even imagine what it must mean to the girl to be here now, alone, without the other Mist she had been so close to and, if their theory is correct, then Mukuro wouldn't show up here. He hadn't died at the same time as them.

"I …" Chrome starts, but falters.

Tsuna gently squeezes her hand in comfort.

She takes a deep breath, and tries again. "I've realised something, mostly by hanging out with my new friends. One of them is… only a girl sometimes even if he was born a girl and it's made me think and… I'm…"

"Shinobi lives generally don't live very long lives." Shibi starts saying as he sees his child struggling to say anything. He has an understanding look on his face, like he has a suspicion of where this is going. "Beyond the need to make sure the bloodlines and kekkai genkei get passed on, most shinobi in service don't care about labels like straight, gay, bi, etc. Some don't even bother to put a name on it and just _be_. The Aburame clan must continue on, but we are more flexible then most clans in Konoha."

Shibi shoots a look at Tsuna before he focuses back on his child. "Our kikaichū are infused into our body at a young age and being of Aburame blood helps ease the process, but it is not a requirement. Adoption has never been looked down upon. Whatever it is you feel and have to tell me, know that I will respect it and still love you for it. Both as a father and as the head of our clan."

Chrome starts crying silently. "I feel more comfortable as a girl."

Shibi nods acceptingly and Tsuna can't help be feel like a huge weight has been lifted from his shoulders. He had been prepared to argue with the man, to defend Chrome and do anything to make her feel safe. If her father had been difficult about it, he'd have taken her with him, away from Shibi and even moved her into their new house permanently.

It is strange that he had assumed he worst of the man. Probably because out of their entire family, only Takeshi had had a decent father. Tsuyoshi had been the man every one of them had wanted as a father.

So it is sad to say, but Shibi's easy acceptance shocks Tsuna.

"You are not the first." Shibi reveals. "Your aunt used to be my brother."

Chrome's tears are shocked to a halt.

"Really?"

Shibi nods. He stands up and stands next to his child. "So what would you prefer I call you? Would you like me to call you by another name? And what pronouns do you want me to use?"

Chrome burst into happy tears and as Shibi moves to hug her, Tsuna gets up and leaves the room, going to stand in the hall. Still close enough to hear if anything goes south but also far enough to give the pair some privacy.

He can't help the smile that spreads on his face. Looks like Chrome will be alright at home.

After the talk with Shibi, they focused on making their new chosen house a home. Every one chooses a room to make their own and starts decorating it. It's something Tsuna insisted upon. He wants everyone to have their own room in their home, even if at the moment only Takeshi and himself live there full-time. It's to give them their own space, keep his family together, and to give them a secure option if their families are being difficult.

They practically empty the paint store, since they paint the common areas as well. Choosing the colours is a bit of an argument, but they choose some nice, not too bright colours in the end. Some gentle green for their living room, pastel blue for the bathrooms, a nice soft yellow for the kitchen, and that sort of thing. The painting itself turn into a nice bonding experience as well. They get the job done easily enough, even if they get into a paint war halfway through the living room when Lambo starts throwing his brush at Hayato with a mischievous smile.

They get the job done in the end and Tsuna can't stop laughing until he goes to sleep that night.

Once the painting is done and dry, they choose some furniture and really make it home. Since officially recording the compound back as his place of residence, Tsuna got access to his clan funds. Not all of it yet but he gets access to the heir funds. They still will need to be careful, but it should suffice for the years to come until he gets access to the full account.

The house is ready, everything seems to fall into place. They meet there every day after class, like they did in the apartment. Usually either Tsuna or Ipin cook them dinner and they do their homework together.

"I still can't believe I'm forced to take flower pressing classes." Hayato grunts as he wrestles a flower in a large tome to dry it.

Tsuna can't help feeling a bit amused at his friend's frustration.

"Now, now, Haya-kun. You used to love those classes!" Takeshi grins teasingly.

The pink haired boy glared at the blond. "That was before I realised how completely useless those classes are! If they really want to follow the stereotypes why not at least give us something useful to learn, like healing classes. No, sure, the secret language of flowers will allow me to kill my opponents when I'm a fully grow kunoichi. Dear kami, it's like they want to kill us all off."

"I love flowers, but it's true the classes aren't really that fundamental in shinobi studies." Ipin agrees. "I'd understand if we'd learn about poisonous plants and such, but that isn't the case."

"Che, I'm just glad we don't have those classes." Kyoya smirks at them.

"I'm sure you're delighted you get extra time to beat other people up." Hayato sneers at the Nara.

Shika relaxes back on the floor but the smirk doesn't leave his face.

"The extra sparring class we get instead is indeed lots of fun." Takeshi laughs in delight.

And Tsuna is not completely convinced the blond is not knowingly messing with Hayato, who looks ready to explode by now.

Lambo is stifling his laughter behind his hand.

Tsuna is cooking in the kitchen with Ipin when she surprises him.

"Nii-san?"

Tsuna chokes on his drink. Right, nii-san. That is what Ipin had called him. Tsuna-nii.

Ipin and Lambo and Fuuta.

It wasn't just Sasuke's name for Itachi. It had always been much more than just that.

"Is it strange I still want to call you that, Tsuna-nii? Even if we are the same age now?" She asks unsure.

"Sorry, you just took me by surprise. I didn't expect to hear that." Tsuna manages once he regains his breath.

And it doesn't feel strange. Sure, he cringes because of the memories of Itachi that word brings forth, but having either Ipin or Lambo call him that isn't strange at all. It's comforting.

So in a way, he's very conflicted about it.

"It's fine if you still want to call me that, Ipin. I don't mind."

She smiles at him. "Thank you. Would you mind if I started a little garden around the house?"

He blinks in surprise. "You want to take care of flowers?"

She nods. "Yes, I used to take care of the garden in the Hyuuga compound with my mother before she died. I don't get to do that anymore, so I thought…"

"Sure." He replies when she trails off. "Just be careful where you plant anything. Lall is very possessive of the grounds just next door."

He smiles wryly. Lall had claimed those ground for training purposes as soon as she laid eyes on it. They were still settling down in the house, but once that is done he is sure Lall will force them all into training.

He's anxious about that, but looking forward to it as well.

Very strange.

"Of course." Ipin nods again.

"Then go wild." Tsuna smiles at her. "Just keep in mind, I'm not fond of having some stranger come to maintain them. Alright?"

"Sure. I planned on doing everything myself anyway." She confesses.

Tsuna frowns. "That could take a lot of time. Won't your family become difficult if you spend so much time here?"

"Don't care. We don't really get along." She shrugs.

"Can I help in any way with that?" He asks, because if he can help he will. He did it for Chrome and he'll do it for every one of them.

"Not really. It's not that bad, but my father has… expectations, and I don't think I could act like he wants me to." Ipin tells him.

"If that changes, let me know please?"

"Sure."

"Because while I honestly don't want any of you to leave here, I realise that isn't possible. Not without causing trouble at your homes," He grins sheepishly, "and I'd like to avoid any trouble, for now at least." He grows serious and looks her straight in the eyes. "But I hope you know that if the situation gets worse at home, I won't mind any of you actually moving in right?"

She beams at him. "We know." She assures him.

"Good. So, did you already have some flowers in mind?" He changes the subject.

"Well, I started a small list already but I think I also want to start a small vegetable patch. It seems nice to be able to gather our own vegetables to cook with afterwards. Something small to start. I thought about…"

Their first night into the real, finished, new home, it's Takeshi who wakes up screaming.

It's a surprise, because Tsuna had honestly thought he'd be the one to wake up that way, but as soon as he wakes up from the noise, he's up and running into the room next to his. He throws himself on the bed and grabs Takeshi into a tight hug.

His Rain is crying, and holding him tight.

They are alone in the house. The others had left some time after dinner as their parents expect them home.

They end up crying together, and while neither of them say a word, they stay that way until morning. Neither of them sleep any more.

It's Haya who finds them in the morning. He sighs and calls the others from downstairs.

They are soon joined by the others in a giant puppy pile on the bed. Haya tells of his morning. How he spend it helping Chrome shopping for a cute dress and when he trails of Lall takes over and tells them about the dinner party at her place where she created chaos with Shika and Choji by pulling both boys to the training grounds to spar, to the surprise of all the adults there.

They end up skipping school that day, all of them trying to cheer each other up.

Hayato POV:

He's a girl now. It's so strange.

Undressing for the first time after remembering had been nerve-wracking. It shouldn't have been, this had been the body he was born into after all, but it hadn't been the body he'd last remembered or spent the most time in.

He's young still, puberty is still a few years away, so the changes aren't too big just yet. At least he hasn't got any breasts yet. Yet being the keyword there.

His hair was long, too long. Way too long to be practical, and pink, even brighter than Bianci's had been, but he wore it in bangs around his face. That wasn't really that different from before.

Still it had felt good to shorten it. The colour still felt off, but this is a lot better.

It's strange how some days, these changes seem more natural than others. It still feels strange, to have days when he prefers skirts and feels more like a girl. He can't really describe it, but it's something he's made peace with.

He'd been so thankful to Lall to have taking him shopping, because sure he might be a girl sometimes, but he really didn't like those cute girly clothes he'd preferred before any more. Whether a girl or a boy, his style in clothes is the same for both genders now. Gone is his love for flower patterns and other cute stuff.

His parents are going to have a stroke once they find out. They hadn't been enthusiastic when he asked to be to start at the Academy. They thought this shinobi nonsense was a faze he was going through and he'd seen their dismay when his enthusiasm didn't seem to waver.

They'd always gently pushed Sakura towards boys from good families. He didn't think they'd ever force him into anything, but little Sakura hadn't realised how pleased they were with her crush on the last Uchiha.

Don't get him wrong, he knows they love their child, but his parents are civilians and he has no idea how LGBT right are viewed in Konoha.

So, he really isn't looking forward to trying to explain his gender to them now. He's still not sure what exactly to call himself either. It wasn't something he'd researched in his last life, but he's fully prepared on being thrown out once he does. Which is why he will wait to tell them anything until after his graduation. If the worst comes to pass, they at least wouldn't be able to control him anymore. They wouldn't be able to pull him from the Academy and away from his Sky and fellow guardians.

He'd take all these changes, gladly, if it meant re-joining Tsuna's Sky.

And how ironic was it that the guy he'd had a crush on as Sakura turned out to be his Sky? The teen he'd admired since shortly after meeting him? How incredible was that?

And how strange was it that remembering didn't make the crush go away? There was possible a bit of truth to what Lall had said. Maybe he had had a crush on Tsuna in his last life and maybe that is why it's still around now. Why he still feels like blushing every time his Sky looks at him.

He has it under control though. He doesn't think Tsuna is any the wiser that his crush survived remembering. He'd also like to think his crush isn't as superficial as it was when he was only Sakura. What had she known about Sasuke Uchiha after all, besides the fact that he was so handsome? But he's known Tsuna for a while now, and really he's looking forward to getting to know his Sky again, without worshipping him as the next leader who took him in.

He's walking down the street on his way to their new home and he's really looking forward to spending time with his family.

He stops. Is that…? Yeah, Chrome is wearing her Mist illusions and she's leaning towards the display window of a shop.

He blinks and walks closer to her.

"Hey there. You on your way home as well?" he asks her.

She flinches violently and he can't help but feel bad about that. She watches him warily and blushes, but doesn't answer.

"You want to walk together?" he proposes gently.

She hesitates. "I… um…" she looks back at the display.

He follows her gaze. That is a very cute dress… He blinks again, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"You'd um… you'd look, cute in that." He says with a bit of a strangled voice. He'd look cute in that.

She looks hopeful. "W-would you… Come with m-me? To t-try it?"

He smiles at her. "Sure." Maybe he could try it as well. Just try. It wouldn't do to wear the same dress as the other girl.

He blinks in shock as the girl goes inside.

He goes inside with her and helps her by giving advice on different dresses she tries on. It's hard. The more Sakura-like feelings are bubbling at the surface. He saw another cute dress earlier and he really wants to try it, but giving in to those feelings still scare him a little.

Maybe this gender issue isn't as simple as he/she thought it would be…

**TBC.**

**AN: Mukuro will not show up in this fic! Lots of you keep asking about it, but he wasn't there when they all died and so I will not add him. He'll probably get mentioned every once in a while, but he won't get reincarnated into the Naruto World.**

**Hope you enjoyed! Leave me a comment if you did ^^**


	8. Blazing Sun

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn! I just wish I did.

Beta: the lovely **Midnight-Kitsune11**. Also lovely shout out to **Honey Drops Peach, and my other discord friends **(you know who you are). Thank you all!

**Blazing Sun**

Time passes and they all adjust to the their new life together. Well, as much as they can without actually living together. Except for Tsuna and Takeshi, the rest of them go home most nights.

They do 'sleepovers' at least once a week though, and on Academy free days, they spend the whole day at the Uchiha compound.

Lall has started training them, intensely, and while they are all feeling like they died afterwards, none of them complain.

Because they remember what happened last time they weren't strong enough. They remember and vowed it would never happen again.

Lall is the most knowledgeable on combat training and tactics, and she had experience training people, so they listen and do as she says. It helps that Lall enjoys teaching.

Maybe a little too much, actually. Her teaching techniques vividly remind Tsuna of Reborn.

Hinata has started her little garden, always humming happily as she works in it, Kiba plays with Akamaru, who has also become part of their little family, and the others join in various activities.

They do movie nights, eat most of their meals together (even breakfast, though most of them don't spend the night) and overall, they are happy.

Just yesterday, Hinata had proposed to start cleaning up the compound. Nothing big, and no repairs, but cleaning out homes. Throwing out fridges and what was left of food stuff. Donating clothes and toys, that sort of thing.

Of course, Tsuna had agreed, but he honestly hadn't been keen on joining in.

His family hadn't made a big deal of it, and they would gather at their house today to start with Hinata's project.

Tsuna knows at least Hayato, Choji-san, Takeshi and Kiba would be coming over to help. Shika would come as well, but mostly to keep Tsuna company.

Right now, he'd focusing on his homework, trying to get it done as soon and as well as possible.

When Choji walks in alone, Tsuna immediately looks up.

Where are Lall and Shika? The three live close, and while Lall likes to do her own thing half of the time, the other half she's inseparable from the two boys.

Tsuna suspects it's because she actually knew them well in their past life, and because Shika never says no to a good spar.

"What's going on?" Tsuna asks warily.

Shika snorts but doesn't answer him. Choji sighs ruefully. "Lall-san thinks she found Sasagawa-san."

"Really?" Tsuna asks, hopeful.

"Yes, she's bringing him here. From what she said, they met earlier while on their morning run. Lall-san said there was no mistaking it, and that she'd bring him by after her run today." Choji shot him a smile.

And didn't that sound…

Tsuna isn't sure what that sounds like. On one hand, he's thrilled just thinking Ryohei might join them later. On the other hand, their nii-san had been… very extreme in their last life. For Lall to recognize him even now…

It's sort of scary…

"SAWADA!"

Oh dear Lord! Is that…?

A beige blur whirlwinds into the house, knocking back the doors as he goes.

Tsuna has to blink in shock at the boy before him; he wore Chinese style clothing, in a beige colour he'd have never associated with the guy, he has black eyes, thick black eyebrows, a fringe of black hair on his forehead and a long black braid.

Lall walks in after him and looks grim.

That can't be good…

The boy watches all of them with a frown. There is no trace of his trademark wide grin.

"Which one of you is Sawada?"

Tsuna gulps and slowly raised his hand.

The boy's eyes zeroed in on him. "The blond girl said you'd explain how we got here. I don't understand, so start explaining."

"All right." Tsuna takes a breath. "What do you remember?"

Turned out, he doesn't know a lot. He remembers what happened to them in their last life, but as Ryohei got sent to the future mid-battle, no one had had time to explain stuff to him. Explaining this to him is hard, and it takes multiple tries before the boy nods in understanding.

The hardest part is that he doesn't seem to remember they died, or at least he doesn't vividly remembers it happening. He's not sure how the boy thought they got here than…

All the while he talks he can feel Ryohei's Sun flames, but they don't reach out to him. Even when Tsuna consciously tries to poke at them, they shy away from his flames.

This isn't good… Was Ryohei doing this on purpose? He doesn't look like he realises what he's doing.

Still…

"How long have you remembered?" Lall asks the Sun. "We only recently did, after getting in contact with Tsuna's Sky flames."

The boy blinks at her. "I've always know. I couldn't find you guys, so I just started training to get stronger."

Wait… What?

"Well, Reborn always said you had been running in an early stage of Hyper Dying Will mode for years. You seem much the same here – way too much energy." Lall remarks.

"I'm always Extremely training!" the boy boasts.

"Maybe us remembering has just to do with activating our Flames?" Haya-kun theorised. "Maybe it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with Sky Flames?"

"So we can conclude. I only had to mention your name, Tsuna, for him to come running." Lall shrugs.

"What about Kyoko?!" the Sun asks/yells suddenly.

Tsuna stills.

"I went looking when you guys started disappearing and Kyoko disappeared as well. So she went with you, to the future?! Is she here, now? I didn't find anyone, but I always kept a look out! I knew we'd find each other again!" Ryohei asks loudly.

"Uhm, I'm not sure…?" Tsuna hesitates.

"Excuse me?" The boy's tone turns deadly silent.

"I just… She was with Reborn and the others at the time we …"

It is something he's very much tried not to think about. Kyoko and Haru's fate… It's so unsure and they have no way of knowing, or of changing it. No matter what happened to the girls, Tsuna and co. had been reborn in this world years ago.

"We assumed that only the people who had… been together at the end were reborn, because everyone we found fit those categories." Hinata explains gently.

"Which one are you again?" The Sun asks confused.

It's strange to introduce themselves to him. For someone so in tune with his Flames, he's not too good at using them. Anyone who could would have felt their own flames and recognized others through them. But should this really be a surprise? If Ryohei really had appeared that late during the battles, had he even actively used his flames? Did he know what they were?

"So, does that mean that… Kyoko stayed behind?" he asks the question with a frown. "Alone in that violent future where we didn't defeat the bad guys?"

They stay silent, not sure what to say.

"She was at the base, with the other girl. The others were listening to us on the comms. They should have heard what happened. I'm sure Reborn at least would have kept the girls safe. He probably send them back home." Lall says.

"But you don't know."

"We'll never know." She says bluntly.

"It's the same for Mukuro-sama." Chrome whispers solemnly.

"But are you sure? That they aren't here? Did you check?" The boy snaps again.

"I… I haven't…" Tsuna doesn't manage to form a sentence.

"And even then there is no guarantee. What do you want him to do? Scan the entire village? Why not immediately ask him to do the whole world, while you're at it." Kiba said sarcastically.

What had started as an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach was turning in downright dread. This talk scared him so much. Was nii-sa- no Ryohei (It doesn't feel right to call the raging Sun nii-san right now) really blaming him for all this?

"So, you've just been… what? Doing nothing? Sitting here? My little sister-" the Sun almost snarls.

The others bristle.

"Hey!"

"No need for that!"

"We've been busy!"

"Ma, ma, let's not do this guys."

"I told you…" Here Ryohei looks Tsuna square in the eyes. "I never wanted Kyoko involved in this."

His Sun flames are simmering around him, shaking in rage and all Tsuna wants to do is shrink into himself and disappear.

He knows he is to blame. He's the reason they had even become involved with the mafia. He's the reason they all got together and fought in the Millefiore base. He and his future self.

He already blames himself, but for his Sun to do the same? That just breaks his heart that little more.

"She followed you, Sawada. Whatever her fate, that's on you." And with that he storms out of their house.

"Well, that could have gotten better."

Tsuna isn't sure who says it. He's numb and incredibly hurt at the same time.

He can't say he can really blame Ryohei though… He'd been thinking the same things to himself ever since he remembered in the hospital.

However, this still isn't something he'd expected. None of the others had blamed him for their situation. Not Hayato, not Chrome, who had even more reasons than the others to do so, and if they did, it had never been enough for them to reject him. Sure, his bond with Lall, Hinata and Choji wasn't the same as the others (not yet, at least), but they were bonding and they at least consider their entire group as family.

He can't stop his tears now.

His Sun had ran off. His Sun had rejected him and run off.

Damn it.

He's been fighting the depression and the icy feelings for months. Finding his friends helped. Flame bonding to them (or at least some of them) helped.

But now?

Now, for the first time in months, he surrenders to the feeling.

He just lets go.

He's not sure how long he loses himself for. The icy world is calm, he's alone there and while the cold is slightly uncomfortable, there is no pain.

No thinking.

He can still vaguely feel his flame bonds. His friends, his guardians.

They are close by, but he has no idea where?

He's alone, and at the same time not.

He doesn't think, he just is.

When he finally comes to, he's warm. Warm and squished on all sides.

He blinks.

He's lying on something soft, and surrounded on all sides by his friends. He's in the middle of what can only be called a puppy pile on something soft, buried in blankets and friends in what looks like their living room.

His eyes tear up.

His Sun is missing. The lack of Sun flames is all the more obvious after they'd lashed out, but the others are here, almost drowning him in a sea of their flames.

He's not sure how long he's been out of it, but he knows (he just does) that none of them have left them during his… episode.

They'd stayed.

He cries happy tears, even if the pain of his Sun's broken bond is still aching.

**Shikaku's POV:**

Shikamaru has changed. It's subtle at first, barely there, but anyone who knows the child can see the difference.

Shikaku is ashamed to say he can't tell anyone exactly when the change occurred. After the Uchiha massacre he had been busy for months, pulling late nights, trying to get the village back into form and giving everyone a sense of normal back. He hadn't been home a lot, so he had been hit with those changes right in the face. When they were already completely there.

Chouza and Inoichi have remarked changes in their kids as well. Though only Ino-chan seemed to have done an almost 180 change in personality.

A spar between his son and the blond girl had completely decimated one of their private training grounds, and both of them had seemingly enjoyed it immensely. Shikamaru hadn't even complained once after the girl offered they'd spar.

No, instead he'd shot her a grin he'd seen on seasoned shinobi. Maybe even an Inuzuka, now that he thinks about it.

Such bloodlust… he'd never expected to see something like that in his boy.

Now, he barely sees his son at all. While before Shikamaru could always be found in one of his usual nap spots, now Shikaku could circle twice around the village without finding a trace of him.

He stayed away longer as well. He disappeared in the morning, and came back late at night. He also claimed sleepovers at least once a week but Shikaku knew the wasn't spending the night at the Yamanaka's or the Akamichi's because Ino-chan and Choji-kun had been at a friend's sleepover as well.

So where do they go? Had they made a new friend?

And why not just tell their parents?

It's Chouza who calls their meeting, which is unusual. Chouza organises dinner parties, not interventions. Yet, here they are.

"I'm worried about Choji." He starts. "He's stopped eating. "

What?

"Really? What happened? Your boy is always seen with at least one bag of snacks in his hands. " Inoichi asks.

"I have no idea. He says he's eating at a friend's place, but he's not around for any meals any more. Not breakfast, he doesn't pack lunch and he's usually only home very late into the evening. When I asked him about it, he shrugged me off. Me! We used to tell each other everything!"

"That is most unusual. Ino has been strange as well. She actually told me off the other day. She'd been training, training as in physical training, well after dark and nearly bit my head off when I suggested she get some rest." Inoichi admits unhappily.

"Shikamaru's been behaving oddly as well. " Shikaku tells them. He curses himself. He really need to pay even more attention. Shikamaru had never been a big eater, and he's ashamed to say he has no idea if his son stopped eating at home or not. " There is an edge to him now. Like he's always prepared for battle now, on the verge of exploding into action. Violent action, even. He's trying hard to hide it, but he has quite the temper now. Very easy to annoy and anger."

The Nara clan head had tried to be patient. He had tried to observe and keep silent, but really, at some point he had to admit that he wasn't getting his answers that way.

"He's actively avoiding me now too." Shikaku has to admit. "Not just his mother."

"So it's all three of our kids? Do you think whatever happened, happened to all three of them?" Chouza asked worried.

"Too much of a coincidence for it to be anything else." Shikaku admits wryly. "Shikamaru doesn't talk to me either, same with Ino I'm assuming?"

Inoichi nods reluctantly.

"Then it's time to apply an age old parenting technique. We find out where they spend their time, to start with, and then we find out what is going on."

"You want to ask them again? Maybe bring the three together and try that way?" Chouza thinks it over.

Inoichi shakes his head. "Not a good idea. Bringing them together only gives them more of a support base when they try to leave our questions unanswered."

Yeah, it's a standard interrogation technique, and while they weren't trying to get answers from enemy Shinobu, they might as well have been.

Those kids were stubborn as hell, all three of them...

Still...

"No, if they haven't talked yet, they won't start now. We'll have to find out the old fashioned way - by following them after classes are out." he grimaces.

There goes all his free time..

Troublesome kids...

**TBC.**

AN: Ryohei might seem a bit OOC, but keep in mind that this kid has remembered who he once was years before Tsuna and the others. He's been worried about them all for all that time, and his priority has always been his little sister…

So, chapter is a little short, but the next part is giving me some trouble (plot, urgh) and I wanted to share what I already had ^^


	9. Discovery

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn! I just wish I did.

Beta: the lovely **Midnight-Kitsune11**. Also lovely shout out to **Honey Drops Peach, and my other discord friend **(you know who you are). Thank you all!

AN: Thanks to everyone for your lovely reviews! It means a lot! I didn't reply because I don't want to spoil anything ^^ I hope you understand

AO3: Thank you to everyone who left a comment! I absolutely love you all! If I didn't reply to you, it's because I didn't want to spoil anything ^^ I hope you understand.

Character index:

Tsuna = Sasuke  
Takeshi = Naruto  
Hayato = Sakura  
Kyoya = Shikamaru  
Lall = Ino  
Kusakabe = Choji  
Lambo = Kiba  
Ipin = Hinata  
Chrome = Shino  
Ryohei = Lee

Note: Some of you said I misspelled Lall's name, that it should be Lal. Could be, but I'm going to stick to Lall now. I've always read it like this in fanfics (I think) and I'm not going to change it so far into the story.

**Chapter 9: Discovery**

Tsuna can't stay in bed and wallow, no matter how much he wants to.

And he does want to. The rejection hurts, like nothing he felt before, and it drives him straight back to the icy feeling Ita- HE had brought along after killing their entire family and mentally torturing Tsuna.

But now, he has multiple people to drag him back out, and they do. At his own pace. They stay with him, they cuddle him a lot, at all moments of the day, and they make sure he never really is alone.

His family is such a gift.

He only wallows in his puppy pile for a day. Well, until the next morning. Everyone stays over for a sleepover and they all have classes at the Academy anyway.

So, he gathers his courage and gets up. He eats the breakfast Hinata sets before him and goes to school. It's hard, he barely talks, and if he does, only to his family.

But he _can't_ not go. Not if he is to stay best in their class. He can't allow his grades to slip, not if they want to stick to their team placement plan.

He is never alone though. Someone is always sticking so close to him, they might have been glued together at the skin. They often just held his hand, and while that caused an outrage in the fangirls, he was grateful.

It helps clear his head.

What Ryohei said is still echoing in his head. Whether true or not, he feels responsible for Kyoko and Haru having been dragged into that mess – he's always felt responsible – but he also trusts Reborn. If the entire tenth generation of the Vongola family had died, he trusts Reborn to have gotten the girls to safety. Whether that was by staying in that future or getting them back home.

He knows they were safe, but he worries. He worries and it's completely understandable that nii-san freaked out like that. He doesn't like it, don't get it wrong, but it is understandable, especially from his point of view. The sun hadn't been send to the future at the same time as them. Tsuna hadn't even know he was there until they had all been captured and brought before Irie.

Had he just switched out with his future self sometime during a fight?

Tsuna bites his lip. Ryohei-nii must have been so worried. They had been stuck in the future for weeks before that fight. Had he been looking for them? Tsuna couldn't imagine the protective boy not having torn their town apart looking for his little sister.

And if he had remembered for years in this lifetime… He must have been worried all this time, only to allowing himself a little hope when Lall found him.

Not hope that she died as well, but hope to see her again after years of uncertainty, or at least the hope of knowing she had been alright.

So he understands.

He doesn't like it though. The broken bond keeps on aching, keeps on trying to drag him back into the ice. It's only with the support of his family that he gets up in the morning. He cherishes his bond with the others so much….

He can't imagine life without them.

He won't.

But Ryohei's words keep echoing. Tsuna needs to know, needs to be sure. Next time he sees Ryohei, he wants to look him in the eyes and say that yes, he is sure there is no one else here. No one else was reborn in this world.

To do that though, he first needs to make sure, which is why he is here.

Hearing what he plans to do, Takeshi suggests a great spot and takes him to the top of the Hokage monument.

Tsuna has never been here before and the view is spectacular.

It is a nice place to just sit and think. He'll be sure to come here again, but sitting and thinking isn't why he is here today.

He looks out over the village, Takeshi and Hayato next to him.

This place gives him the clearest image of the village. It might help, make it easier. What he is about to do won't be easy. He'll probably be exhausted afterwards, but it needs to be done.

"Remember what Lall said, it's best to take your time with this. There are a lot of people in the village. We'll take you home afterwards, so don't worry about feeling too tired. Just… don't kill yourself, all right?" says Haya.

She is wearing as dress today, a black one with some Skull accessories, and she put her hair up in two pigtails.

She looks cute like this. The soft pink hair strangely works with the gothic vibes.

Tsuna nods, and sits down on top of the Yondaime's head. He closes his eyes and focuses. Apart from feeling his family's flames and reaching out to them, he hasn't really used his flames much in this life.

So, this? This is a challenge. Lall has talked him through it though. All he needs to do is direct a small amount of flames through the entire village.

"It's not an issue of how much flames you have, it's more about how good your control of them is." She had said.

So, he takes a deep breath, closes his eyes and tries.

It's hard, it's exhausting, and in the beginning he has no idea what he is doing. He starts small, just where they are, and he feels his Storm and his Rain immediately.

He gains confidence from that and tries to send his flames farther. It does take more flames, and he feels a drop of sweat roll down his face as his flames wash over more and more of the village.

Like a drop falling in water, his flames spread out around him, in a gentle and invisible wave.

The rest of his family is complete, waiting back home for them to come back. Ryohei is off by the Academy training grounds, pounding away at a dummy. The Sun stills, probably feeling the flames. His family simply basks in them.

Other people don't notice them. No one else reacts.

He is not sure how long he sits there, no notion of how much time has passed, when he feels it. It's a nagging feeling, so fleeting that he almost misses it. He hesitates, not sure what exactly that feeling is. He prods at it, wanting to know what it is.

It hits him like lightning, and he startles so hard, he shoots up with a cry.

Haya-chan and Takeshi startles as well, and grab him as he loses his balance and before he falls of the monument.

"What's wrong?" Takeshi asks.

Tsuna watches them with wide eyes, chest heaving as he gasps for breath.

"T-there is some-one else." He stutters out.

"What?"

"How?" Asks Haya-chan stricken. "There was no one else there, when Irie killed us. How can there be anyone else?"

"Yes, there was. I remember now." Tsuna pales in realisation.

"Who?" Takeshi asks as he rubs his head in thought. "I can't remember there being anyone else, though I wasn't really conscious for most of it."

"Yes there was. You just didn't know him. I was the only one who knew him at that point. Well, me and Reborn." Tsuna says in horror.

"Who?" Haya-chan asks gently, but still with a frown of worry.

"Spanner! He was Millefiore. He made robots, but he helped me when I got hurt. He helped me figure out my technique so I could use it without endangering myself. Irie send people after him, to kill him, and I took him with me when I got out. He was the older blonde one."

Takeshi still frowns, but Haya looks up. "I think I might… remember someone else being there. I wasn't paying too much attention to a stranger though."

"He wasn't. Not to me." Tsuna admits. He hadn't known Spanner for long, or very well, but the man had risked Millefiore's wrath by helping him. He had continued configuring his contacts in the middle of being attacked by his own people.

Takeshi squeezes his shoulder. "Don't worry, Tsuna. We'll go find him."

"It was strange though. I could barely feel him. He is in the village, but so far away… Like, maybe he is underground somewhere?"

"Let's go home and talk to the others. We can figure it out together." Haya-chan suggests.

Tsuna nods.

They go home and explain the situation to the others.

By now, it's already dark outside.

"I want to go get him." Tsuna said, looking down at his hands. "I know none of you know of him, but he really helped me out back then. I want to see him, make sure he is alright. Even if he wants nothing to do with me now, I just…"

"Sora." Shika simply says, as if that explains everything.

"What?" Tsuna asks confused, looking up at his friends.

The others smile.

"You are our Sky. It's nice that you talk things over with us, but you don't need to convince us to do stuff. If this is what you want to do, we'll do it. Simple as that." The Cloud explains with a shrug.

"Whether you want it or not, you command us, Sawada. We are family. So, let's go get the last member." Lall says matter of factly. "I for one, want to meet him. Anyone who helped you and by extension betrayed Byakuran, can't be that bad."

"Yeah, it's about time we get to meet this guy." Kiba laughs.

"You guys..." Tsuna's tears are threatening to spill over and he can only give them a shaky smile.

In part, it's slightly disturbing, how far they would go for him, but he honestly feels the same way about them.

So... There isn't anything he can say to contradict that.

He doesn't want to either, because telling them off for blindly following him brings into question everything he'd do for them in return.

"Now, I suggest we get some take-out, and then we start planning." Haya-chan suggests.

"Good idea." They all agree. It is getting late.

They make themselves comfortable, while Choji, Lall and Shika go out to get some food.

Tsuna settles around the low table they have in their living room, on one of the cushions, and Hinata throws one on their super soft blankets over him. She smiles as he snuggles deeper in the soft fabric.

Haya-chan snuggles in on his right side, her side, and Takeshi does the same on his left side.

Tsuna sighs deeply, and goes boneless between his two friends.

Kiba snickers at them, but Tsuna is feeling too exhausted to care. His guardians talk softly, and Tsuna just basks in their presence.

"Hey, Hinata, could you maybe bring me my cookbook from the kitchen to leaf through?"

"Sure."

"Can you bring mine as well?" Haya asks the girl. "Not a cookbook, but I left my sealing work in the kitchen this morning."

Hinata laughs. "Of course, I was planning to anyway. Takeshi, do you want a book as well?"

The Rain rubs the back of his head. "No thank you."

"We can play a board game if you want?" Kiba suggests instead.

"Sure. I'd like that."

They sit together for a while, waiting for their food. Tsuna reads, but barely manages to focus on his book. He's halfway between drifting off for a nap and listening to his family while he reads.

"We might have a little problem." Choji starts as he comes into the house with Lall and Shika, hands full of bags of take-out

Tsuna looks up from the cookbook that lays on the table before him. Hayato mimics him from next to him.

"What's wrong?" Tsuna asks worried, but feeling too tired to get up.

Ipin approaches them and takes some of the take out bags from Shika, before going to the kitchen with Choji to drop them off.

Shika snorts with a frown. "It's no big deal, my father's out front, wanting to come in."

Which is usually not a good sign for Tsuna's nerves.

"This one's father has finally stopped observing and started asking questions." Lall explains with a smirk while pointing over her shoulder at Tsuna's Cloud. "He wants to meet our friends, see where we were spending all our time, that sort of shit. Shika refused, so Shikaku followed us here. He's agreed to wait outside though."

"We knew someone's parents were going to be the first."

Hayato snorts. "I really thought Kiba's mom would barge in here before any others."

Tsuna shivers at the thought. Really, after all Kiba's stories, the Inuzuka clan head scares him on an almost Reborn-like level.

"Should we let him in?" Tetsuya asks hesitantly.

"Yeah, I doubt he'd just leave because we asked nicely." Tsuna says resolutely. "But, this is our space. Our safe place, to be whoever we want to be, without having to keep up pretence. So, Haya-chan, may I ask that you prioritise those seals for the compound? I'd like to prevent any repeats of these sort of surprise visits in the future."

Tsuna knows they would have followed any decision he'd make, even on this, but he knew his family well enough and he sees them all relax at his answer. He wants to snort. Had they really expected something else from him?

The Storm nods. "I'll start right away."

"This might make things easier for you guys at home." He continued. "Would one of you let him in?"

Kyoya nods and walks away.

"Hi there." Tsuna greets the man who walks inside after his son.

He looks around with a curious air, studying their place and them as well. He studies them intently, his gaze lingering.

The Sky braces himself when the man looks at him.

"Hello, You must be Uchiha Sasuke. I am Nara Shikaku." The man greets him in a lazy manner, hands in his pockets, slouching… he looks a lot like Kyoya does now and has a big scar on his face.

Tsuna nods and bits his tongue to keep a sarcastic remark unspoken.

"Shikamaru has never mentioned you were friends." Shikaku continues.

"Really? He has mentioned you a lot to us all." Tsuna gives him an innocent smile.

The man blinks in surprise and Tsuna can just tell his family is fighting their smirks.

"Has he now?"

"Yes, he has." Tsuna dials up the innocent smile despite feeling tired.

"He's never mentioned you to me." The man narrows his eyes.

"That honestly doesn't surprise me. Shika-kun is a very private person." Tsuna slowly let his smile fade.

"Shika-kun? Really?" The guy turns towards his son.

Shika huffs at him but otherwise doesn't react.

"Please, have a seat." Tsuna says after they fall silent.

Shikaku sits down at their low table.

"You're quite the… unusual group." He comments.

"It's not that strange." Haya-chan shrugs. "We're all in the same class in the Academy."

"True, and you hang out here?"

"Yes, every day." Takeshi laughs brightly. "Only Sasuke and I live here. We moved out of my tiny apartment when our group became too big. It's better here. More space. Sasuke and Hinata even cook for us. It's great."

Shikaku eyes Tsuna again, this time with a raised eyebrow. Tsuna flushes, but refuses to look away. So he cooks for his family. _What of it?_

So, he shrugs. "It helps to have friends around."

"And none of your parents mind?" Shikaku asks the others.

Chrome nods with a pleased little smile. "My father is very happy I have many friends now."

"My parents don't really care? I think they're glad I'm not hanging around at home all the time now." Kiba says.

"And none of the others have spoken to us about it." Lall snorts. "I wasn't even sure some of them, like the Hyuuga, have actually noticed. Mine had, obviously, he keeps bothering me, but he hasn't asked, so I haven't told him."

Shikaku sighs. "It would be easier if you'd just told us."

"It would have been even easier if you'd just asked, instead of stalking me around the village." Shika says.

He leaves his spot and pushes Takeshi away so he can sit down next to Tsuna. Takeshi makes place with a laugh, and scoots over.

Shika sighs and settles down for a nap, ready to lay his head in Tsuna's lap.

Tsuna grins, and runs a hand through his Cloud's hair. "Don't go to sleep just yet, Shika. I'm sure Hinata and Choji will be bringing us some take-away soon."

Shika grumbles.

Shikaku raises an eyebrow at them, but grins in delight at seeing his son like this.

"Guess I was worried for nothing. Getting him to eat has always been a hassle. It was one of our main concerns, never seeing you eat any more."

"Would you like to join us for a meal?" Tsuna asks politely.

Shikaku eyes him again. "Just this once, thanks."

It is surprisingly peaceful, having an adult around for dinner. Hinata and Choji almost immediately bring out the food after that, laying it all out on the table. Haya quickly cleans up all the books and Chrome gets up to get plates and cutlery.

Yakuniku Q isn't Ichiraku Ramen, and Takeshi is already pouting, but the food is good. It isn't like other days, everyone is a bit more tame. They are careful, Shikakau is still studying them intently. But the man is smiling as well, and while they are cautious, they don't feel uncomfortable.

All in all it's a nice evening. Still, they can't wait for the adult to leave.

**Shika's POV**

So troublesome.

His herbivore of a father is following him again.

And yes, he does call one of the strongest jounin in the village a herbivore. No matter how strong the man might be, all Shika has ever seen was a herbivore. If the man didn't have the balls to stand up to his wife (who had never achieved more than the rank of chuunin before she retired) than he did not deserve to be called a carnivore. The man is in charge of all the jounin in the village, for kami's sake.

Yet he cowers when his wife so much as frowns at him.

Pathetic.

It doesn't help that the man keeps putting up his hair in a very pineapple-like ponytail.

After remembering, the first thing Shika had done was cut his own hair. Seeing the constant reminder of the pineapple herbivore in his father is not helping his pissed off mood at home.

Being home is a nightmare. His father's appearance and too laid back attitude, and his mother's 180 degree personality twists when she flies in a rage out of nowhere in less than a second…

He's never been more glad to have a place where he can just be… him. Even if that him is now different from before.

Ever since remembering…

As Kyoya, he hadn't placed much fate in this ragtag group. He'd done everything to not be associated with them. If only they didn't provide him with good fights, he'd have gotten rid of them a long time before, but Tsunayoshi and his clique brought a chaos as he'd never seen before to Namimori. Part of him had been pissed off because Namimori was his, his to protect, as were the people who lived there.

Honestly, he'd found the group more annoying than anything, especially the meddling baby, even if he did provide a challenge.

But here? Waking up here and remembering…

He would never admit it, but remembering and not being alone had been a relief.

He'd resigned himself to them being around, at first.

Now, he is thankful he has his, dare he say it, family.

They accept him in ways he'd only ever know from Kusakabe Tetsuya. Where his own clan compound now felt like a prison, the small apartment (and later their house in the Uchiha district) are a safe place.

It's almost strange, how much he now appreciates Sawada Tsunayoshi, or rather Uchiha Sasuke.

And sure, as Shikamaru he's had Choji's friendship and Ino's… whatever their strange relationship was, but he had not expected to feel so at ease with the others so quickly. He'd never had a lot of close friends, he'd never been the most social of people, so his easy acceptance into the group is still a surprise.

They don't mind his lazy days. Days that he spends napping around the house, most of time with his head in his Sky's lap. They don't mind that he isn't the most talkative, and they also don't mind the days he feels restless and destroys whoever agrees to spar with him. They keep on volunteering, even.

So seeing Tsuna, his Sky, flinch back from his last lost guardian (as far as they've figured out) because the Sun insists on working out his anger and worries on them, pisses him off immensely.

Sora-kun is so out of it, it takes him hours to start reacting to them again. Ame-kun is the one who starts directing the others on what to do. It's a testament of how worried they all are, that no one questions this and does as told.

They've laid out multiple futons in their living room, laid their Sky in the middle of it, and buried him in blankets. Never mind that it is only the beginning of the day, they all cuddle right up next to him.

Sora-kun cries when his consciousness re-joins them.

It's such a heart-breaking sight, Shika is convinced they all plan their revenge against the Sun.

Anyway, so his father has started stalking him.

He has felt his father's attention on him lately. It's more intent now. The man is throwing him the same looks he throws a good Go game, as if he is something to figure out.

Shika wants to snort. It sure took the man long enough to notice something is going on. He'd expected better, never mind that his father's attention is troublesome.

That guy is Konoha's elite, the Jounin commander no less.

It's a disgrace, honestly.

**TBC.**

AN: Who saw that coming?! Spanner is there! xD Anyone care to guess who he will turn out to be?


	10. Spanner's journey

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn! I just wish I did.

Beta: the lovely **Pure Red Crane**. Thank you very much for your help!

AN: Thanks to everyone for your lovely reviews! It means a lot! I didn't reply because I don't want to spoil anything ^^ I hope you understand

AO3: Thank you to everyone who left a comment! I absolutely love you all! If I didn't reply to you, it's because I didn't want to spoil anything ^^ I hope you understand.

**A special thanks to** **Honey Drops Peach! Without you this chapter might never have been written! Please, do not underestimate the help you've been to me! 3**

Character index: 

Tsuna = Sasuke  
Takeshi = Naruto  
Hayato = Sakura  
Kyoya = Shikamaru  
Lall = Ino  
Kusakabe = Choji  
Lambo = Kiba  
Ipin = Hinata  
Chrome = Shino  
Ryohei = Lee  
Spanner = Sai

**Chapter 10: Spanner's journey**

Spanner POV

He needs out. Now.

It has only been a few days since Spanner felt the power that was Sawada's flames, and already he knows he can't stay here.

Before, Spanner had often been accused of being emotionless. He isn't though. He is just good at keeping his emotions hidden.

This life though…He is barely eight and is already fighting bloodier battles than he had ever fought as a grown man.

Child soldiers, because of course he is that lucky…

And he doesn't get to be this world's 'ordinary' child soldier. No, that would have been too easy. He had the luck to have been snatched up by a hidden division that had made him kill his brother about three months ago. No going to the Academy and taking it easy for him.

He hadn't liked it, but after remembering, he likes it even less.

He draws in this life. He likes drawing people. Mostly because he doesn't understand them. They are fascinating to watch though. He likes watching people, mostly as they interacted. Not that Danzo gives him lots of time off to watch them. He doesn't get any time off.

Mostly it is the relationships between people that he finds so fascinating to watch.

Now, as Spanner, he knows more about people. He had never been very good at talking to them, but he knows more now. Somewhat.

He is always been a bit awkward. Give him a lab space and lots of electronics over talking to people any day.

Still, there is a reason his Moskas look humanoid.

He is kept locked up underground. Had he ever seen sunlight in this life? Outside of missions, that is? Eight years old (-ish, he has no idea when exactly he was born) and already five kills to his name. He has participated in a lot more missions though. He doesn't always have to do the killing. Sometimes, one of the others gets there first. Not that he tries very hard. Honestly, he tries just hard enough not to be noticed and reported.

It is hard, living like this. He hates it. He hates it, he hates it, hehatesit!

He can't get out though.

He needs to get out. Vongola is out there, somehow. It should be unlucky. It has to be a dream. He had been half concussed, that day. He can't have possibly…

It shouldn't make sense, but Spanner remembers. He knows. Sawada Tsunayoshi is out there.

And he is Spanner's only chance at getting out of this place. Sawada Tsunayoshi, who had defended Spanner against the Millfiore, after the blonde had attacked him, kept him prisoned. Spanner had been so fascinated by Sawada's power, he had helped the young Sky out, betraying his Familia.

So much potential, squashed before it could be cultivated to the fullest.

Such a shame.

So much had happened in such a short time. He still can't believe Shoichi had killed him. Them. Either way. Spanner had never had many friends, but Shoichi had been counted as one of them.

It had been such a mess.

Still was, honestly.

And truthfully, he can't in good conscience leave the Sky out there. What if he is all alone? The kid is naïve! Sawada had once trusted an enemy while trying to invade their base. Honestly…

The kid would get himself killed if he didn't have anyone to look after him.

And Spanner has no idea if the Sky is alone or not? There had been others there when they had been killed. Right? Sawada's guardians? Or something, he hadn't been paying much attention. They had made a lot of noise, and then the killing had started.

So sue him for not paying attention.

In short, let him repeat himself in his thoughts, he needs to get out. He won't stay here to a mindless killer, dancing to the pipes of that old man.

Danzo is paranoid, but luckily, not paranoid enough.

Spanner has a plan. Well, he is getting desperate, so…it might be a bit rushed. He has never been too good at this.

Planning…

Give him a circuit board over this any day. Still, this needs to get done if he wants to get out of this life.

Without dying.

Also, very important.

Right, plan. Danzo had marked all his shinobi with a seal. But it isn't a tracker. It is a seal that makes sure the one who wears it can't tell anyone anything about either Root or Danzo.

That's it. No hidden traps, no tracking, no incinerating the body after death.

He can work with that. Fake his death on a mission, run away (and how juvenile that sounds, urgh), and re-join Sawada without Danzo being ever the wiser. Hopefully, he could lock himself in some sort of lab for the first few years! He is already so pale – he would burn in the sun, burn, damnit. Who needs sunlight anyway?

It sounds simple… It isn't. He can't count on his team to cover for him. He can't simply disappear – they would search for him...and he can't actually die.

Just, that last bit is important. No dying on his part.

Thank you very much.

His last mission just hadn't allowed for it. Their enemies had been weak – it wouldn't have looked convincing.

So now all he has to do is wait for an opportunity. Just wait for the right mission to come along.

Just…wait patiently.

He hates waiting. He is not good at it.

He dreads it. God knows how long he will have to wait…

And then, two weeks after he first 'remembered,' an opportunity comes along. It is a simple infiltration mission. Or it is supposed to be….

Weren't under-classified missions something Root arranges for regular Konoha shinobi?

Never mind.

It is a simple mission – get in, steal a paper and get out. He only has one other teammate, which makes it even easier. He hadn't expected this to be the mission that would grant him his freedom though.

He also isn't really prepared for the two missing men they encountered.

Those two weren't supposed to be here. Still, earth jutsu. Bingo!

Faking his death is easy. The mission needs to be a success though (they might send others afterwards to come back and try again, and that could be a bad idea…) and in the end, even that is a success.

Crushed by earth wall.

Damn, that would be a messy way to go.

Sai is a painter and he uses his art to fight. Always had. Whether that art is robotics or drawings in ink doesn't matter. This will be no different. He always has scrolls and ink on him. Until now, he had ever only drawn stuff that came to life off the paper. It isn't until he is Spanner, as well, that he tries to put live stuff unto the paper.

It is remarkably easy, honestly.

Why hasn't anyone else thought of this? Are people that…he doesn't want to think 'stupid' but…close minded? That fits as well…or is he some sort of genius? He has always been smart, but he hadn't cared for titles like that, so he had never found out if he had been a proper genius.

Time got strange on the scroll. In the scroll? And under the earth, it is even harder to judge how much time has passed. Are they still around? Is it safe to get out?

He knows that if the fight is over, his teammate would have left already, their price secure.

Getting out is harder. Once he thinks enough time has passed, he needs to get out in a way that isn't too obvious. Just in case anyone checks on him. Should he leave a decoy corpse? He didn't think to bring one, not having anticipated this mission could be 'the one'.

Timing is everything now. He needs to get out of the scroll under the earth, not _die_ (very important, again, no being buried alive!). He does his best not to be crushed by the avalanche of earth that leys above him and then quickly substitutes with an object he saw on the surface above.

Piece of cake.

In theory.

In reality, it is nerve-wracking and over in seconds.

He sits there for a bit, shaking and breathing as if he has run a marathon.

Now, he only needs to make his way to Konoha without being detected. He will need a disguise.

Root doesn't really have a uniform, but he can't imagine civilians wearing something like this either. First, he needs to put some distance from the scene.

Then, become a civilian!

Right, he needs to get going.

He walks till it gets dark (civilians don't travel by tree) and he sleeps in a tree that night.

The next morning, he finds a little house, sitting alone by the edge of the woods. There is no one home, and he gets inside ridiculously easy. He gets inside through the window with little to no effort.

Oh, there is a corpse in the bed. Old lady. She is still fresh, so she can't have been dead for long.

Huh.

He did not expect that... He pokes her. Yep, definitely dead.

So he looks around. Finds some clothes, even some ID. Hah! That is lucky.

There is a picture. And a name, date of birth… Well, he obviously can't pass as the dead lady. Not without a henge. And a henge can be detected by good shinobi, so that isn't an option. He can claim to be family though. Daughter? Probably better to try for granddaughter? Dress up as a girl in the clothes he finds and make his way back to Konoha.

It is a perfect plan.

Spanner hates waiting.

He has no patience.

This is taking too long. He has been walking well over two days now, and still hasn't reached the village. He has to go at a civilian pace, if he wants his disguise to hold. Never know when someone might retrace his footsteps.

He had forgotten how slow civilians walked though.

His disguise is gorgeous, if he says so himself. He wears a skirt. Short, of course, like the cute Japanese girls he remembers. He had to cut the long skirt of the dead lady, but he has kunai for a reason, right? It hadn't been hard. He had found a small shirt that must have been much too small for granny, and he had ditched his shoes.

The lady's shoes are too big, and civilians don't wear shinobi sandals, so he had thrown his own shoes out. Literally, out the window they went. He'd gone back for them afterwards and hid them in the house.

Shoes laying outside would make people ask questions.

He is young enough to pass as a cute girl, if he says so himself. He muses, watching his reflexion in the window. Maybe… Cute girls wear pony tails, right? His hair is very short, but maybe he can make one little tail. Above his left ear or something?

He nods, looking at the final picture that is his refection.

Yes, he looks good.

Like a nice innocent little civilian girl. He smiles.

This will be a nice surprise for Sawada.

He has been on the road for two days and it is only now that he is crossing paths with some traders and their caravan. He blinks at them. Huh, so that is actually a thing. A family of people with two wagons, traveling together from village to town to sell stuff.

Apparently, that isn't a just thing out of story books.

"Young lady, what are you doing out here? Are you on your own? Where are your parents?" The man in front asks him loudly.

Good, his disguise is working.

"I am all alone. My grandma died." he says before smiling.

Everyone loves girls who smile. Nothing weird about that.

The man calls some other people, and a woman takes Spanner's hand and sets him at the front of one of the wagons.

That's nice – his feet are starting to hurt.

The woman approaches him again, and hands him a rice ball.

Score, he hasn't eaten anything since the old lady's house!

"Poor dear, you look like you had a fright. Are you on your way to visit family?" The lady asks him.

"Sure, I'm going to Konoha." Spanner replies with a shrug.

"We pass there as well. You are very close. Why not travel with us for the remainder of the way? You poor dear…"

Spanner shrugs.

Travelling like this might actually be quicker than going on foot. Besides, his feet are tender, and they have food.

He has no idea how far from Konoha he still is, so this is a good solution.

It turns out Konoha is a lot closer than he had thought. It only takes them half a day to get there.

The travel people talk to the gate guards for him, so he is not really paying attention.

Well, he acts like he doesn't, but he does. He is not that stupid.

They seem to believe the story the merchants tell them.

Good.

The two chuunin approach him and ask if he has any ID.

"Yes, I do!" he hands the piece of paper over with a smile.

One of them, eyes the paper with a frown. "Ano, this isn't you?"

"Well, of course not, that is granny." Spanner says. He feels their next question coming so he immediately adds. "She died. I am an orphan now."

"Poor dear was walking here on her own when we found her." The nice lady from before says without being asked.

Had she mentioned her name? He can't recall…

Not important.

"Haruno Kimiko, huh?" The man reads the ID papers again. "Isn't there a Haruno couple in the corps?"

"Hmmm…" the second one thinks out loud. "Aren't they the two who hoard the escort missions to Suna?"

"They might be." The first one says again as he scratches his head.

Spanner has trouble separating the two of them. All these Asian people looked so much alike…

In the end, after lots of talking, one of them walks with him to the Hokage tower. He even holds Spanner's hand. It seems a bit much, but he only smiles. Can't blow his cover just yet.

The talks at the tower take long, but they mostly take place without his input, which is great. Talking to people is exhausting. Can he just sleep for a week after this?

Please?

The Hokage isn't present for the talk. Which is good. It means they believe him to be nothing more than a civilian girl. His disguise is working splendidly.

The same guy from before takes his hand again and leads him outside. Spanner hums tonelessly. "Where are we going?"

"I am going to drop you off at your family's house. Your…euhm…aunt and uncle…of sorts aren't home. They are on a mission… But you have a cousin. You can stay with her until they come back and can sort out the paperwork." He says with a strange smile.

Spanner blinks at him, and shrugs. "Sure."

His cousin turned out to be his age. Well, she isn't really his cousin. It is all a cover, after all. He will have to run away tonight. The quicker he gets to Sawada, the quicker he won't have to deal with people anymore.

People are still fascinating – don't get him wrong. But he prefers to watch them from a distance, instead of dealing with them personally. Urgh.

The chunnin leaves as soon as he can after quickly explaining the situation.

The girl's hair is bright pink, and she wears some punk-ish clothes with skulls on them.

"My name is Sakura." She eyes him warily, arms crossed over her underdeveloped chest. "So, your grandmother died?"

"Yes, she did." Spanner shot the girl a smile.

"And you have no parents?"

"That is what being an orphan means, yes." He says cheerfully.

"And you came here looking for family?"

"Sure, why not." Spanner shrugs, looking around the utterly pink room.

It is strange how people can get fascinated by a colour… He doesn't get it.

"So, you are my cousin? Twice removed?" Sakura asks him, scratching her cheek and looking at him intently.

"Not really though."

"Good grief. I am related to an idiot." She sighs in what Spanner thinks is frustration. He isn't too sure though. Emotions…

"I am undercover." Spanner smiles at her again.

"Uhuh." The girl nods at him disbelievingly.

He grins, unable to help himself.

"But honestly, I came to find a Sky."

"The sky?" The girl shoots him a weird look. "How can you lose the sky? What kind of moro-"

"Not the sky. A Sky." Spanner specifies.

The girl freezes, and narrows her eyes at him. "You've got to be kidding me… You?"

"Me?"

"You are the one we've been looking for?"

He tilts his head. "Not sure? Who have you been looking for?"

"Spanner?!" She yells out in anger.

It has to be anger – she isn't smiling, so she isn't happy.

"Yes, that is me." He flashes her another smile.

Looks like he got lucky and stumbled upon someone who is… Wait…

"Did you die as well?"

"Yes, I did. How else would I know who you are?!" she yells at him.

He narrows his eyes at her, studying her. "Ah," He realises, "You are the loud, screaming one! I remember you."

She curses at him.

Loudly.

**TBC. **

Spanner is my spirit animal! I had a lot of fun writing him!

Also, if he seems out of character, this is just how I see him. He's a nerd, not good with people, blunt and prefers to stay in his lab with his robots over spending time with people. Combined with Sai … that makes for one awkward and blunt boy!  
He turned out so extra though! That was a surprise!

This is one of my shorter chapter yet, but I am just glad I managed to post anything at this point ^^  
I hope you enjoyed it!  
xx


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